Vanguard of Vengeance
by M.B.Liddle
Summary: When an unexpected delay prevents Shepard from reaching the Prothean beacon on Eden Prime in time, she makes a discovery that will throw the course of future history into disarray. Now, on the brink of a galactic extinction event, can Shepard defeat old enemies with a new host of allies? Can she turn the tide of darkness, or will she succumb to it. Find out in Vanguard of Vengeance
1. Chapter 1: A Fatal Delay

Vanguard of Vengeance: Chapter 1

Commander Evangeline Shepard of the Earth's Systems Alliance was having a very bad day. She'd had worse, of course, she still shuddered to think of the borderline trench warfare of Torfan, but that didn't make today's mission any better. More rounds rattled off the thick metal crate she was using for cover as the bipedal Geth platforms moved in for the kill.

"Alenko! Take some heat off our flank!" Shepard yelled to her biotic second in command. Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko was a capable yet somewhat guarded officer, a strong biotic like Shepard herself, and a stalwart Alliance loyalist. At this moment though, he was pinned behind a similar weight of fire.

"I can try, Commander, these things just keep coming!"

"No room for trying, Lieutenant! We advance or we die!" Shepard turned her attention back to the Geth in front of her position. They danced tantalizingly close, just out of effective range of her Storm-Pattern shotgun. She would have to fix that. Taking advantage of the temporary lull in fire as Kaidan leaned to unleash a torrent of covering fire, Shepard reached out with her mind towards the attacking synthetics. She felt the familiar hot buzz build up in the back of her skull as powerful biotic amplifiers engaged, boosting the output of the distributed eezo nodules that threaded through her brain. Deep oily purple light wreathed her outstretched arms and arced like lightning towards the encroaching Geth. The synthetics found themselves yanked forcefully into the air as local gravity reversed itself. The force of the biotic pull was enough to bring them sailing helplessly into range. Shepard's shotgun barked twice. The Geth fell uselessly to the ground behind her as she leapt from cover.

"Advance!" again she dipped into her biotics, this time lightening herself. With a leap, she flew towards the nearest cluster of attacking robots. She slammed into them with increased force as she released her biotics. The shockwave threw them back in every direction. From behind her, Shepard could hear the twin grunts as the rest of her squad moved from cover.

The second member of the team was Ashley Williams, a marine with the local garrison. Her disciplined fire took two Geth down before they could react. Alenko took up the charge, flanking the remaining synthetics and unleashing a blistering torrent from his overclocked heavy pistol. The surviving Geth crumpled under the assault. Shepard caught the closest one with a high kick, slamming it to the ground in front of her. Laying the barrel of her shotgun alongside the curved platform's thick neck, she barely flinched as she fired one handed.

"Clear!" her squad mates moved up beside her with cautious eyes on the horizon. Shepard didn't blame them. In the distance, a darkened shape reached down from the clouds like the outstretched hand of a callous god.

"What do you think that thing is, Shepard?" Alenko asked with upturned eyes. "I mean, what could have built something so massive?"

"We'll leave that assessment to the white coats once we take it down," Shepard said flatly, "We've got to move, Nihlus will be waiting." The team nodded in acknowledgment and set off towards their destination. The small local spaceport just peaked above the line of the hill in front of them as they broke into a run. Shepard kept her eyes peeled for ambushes; she had already lost one man to the flitting drones that dropped from out of the blue. _And that half mad civilian, _the exhausted commander thought, _the one who had burst from the underbrush in a suicidal attempt to save Private Jenkin's life._

"Commander, it's moving!" Williams pointed up at the black dreadnaught. It was definitely accelerating, drifting impossibly up into the sky. It's ascent was silent but for the cracking of thunder as massive static discharges that roiled through the upper atmosphere.

"Shepard," her radio buzzed, the flanged voice of the Council Spectre, "Where in the sight of the Spirits are you? The Spaceport is locked down tight; I won't be able to move in and secure the beacon without you."

"I copy, Nihlus. We had some… delays due to civilian interference." Shepard spoke more brusquely than she ought to given the turian's role as arbiter over her own entrance to the elite corps of galactic law enforcement agents, but the alien's accusatory tone set her teeth on edge. "ETA is ten minutes."

"Make it five, the Geth appear to have left us parting gifts, some very large explosives." Nihlus cut feed without waiting for an acknowledgement.

"You heard the Spectre, double time it marines."

* * *

Despite the massive dreadnaught's departure, the path to the spaceport was still choked with rampaging Geth. With the withdrawal or destruction of so many of their peers, the collective distributed intelligence of the remaining platforms broke down, leaving them directionless.

"Another one down," Williams calmly reported. Her target collapsed against the flimsy barrier that separated Eden Prime's local spaceport from the main road. A wave of biotic force pressed the rest of the small pack against a nearby building, allowing Kaidan to drill the remainder with carefully aimed fire.

"This must be one of the bombs Nihlus told us about," Kaidan said, kneeling beside the long, octagonal device that lay on the ground in the middle of the cargo platform. He dug metal tipped fingers into the spaces around the bomb's paneling and pried it open, running an Omni-tool over the exposed components. "This is a real nasty piece of work. If I didn't know better, the Geth are looking to erase this port from the face of the planet. it looks like they yanked the engines out of one of their torpedoes and stuffed in some extra fissionable material."

"That's a nice story, Alenko, but the real question is, can you disarm it?" Shepard asked impatiently. Something that looked suspiciously like a timer was ticking down in alien numerals, and there were uncomfortably few of them left on the bomb's exposed face.

"That depends; you want them safe enough to travel or safe enough to bring to bed with you?" the biotic joked.

"Let's start with 'not ticking down to doomsday,'" Shepard shot back. Her gaze swept back and forth across this side of the compound. She knew from maps circulated in the briefing that the spaceport had to halves separated by a short tram ride. Nihlus' scouting intel placed the target Prothean beacon on the other side. _Doubtless with more of these bombs_.

"That I can do, it's just a case of… yanking…" he tugged on a thick trunk of leads wiring the casing as he said the word, "out these wires. This being a converted torpedo we don't have any countermeasures to worry about." Ashley William's eyes bugged out behind her helmet. Had any other member of the crew just pulled the same gamble, Shepard would have joined her, but she and Kaidan had served two tours together on the _Normandy_ and she knew his intuition was almost never wrong. The timer on the side of the casing blinked off, the building whine that had emanating from it died down to nothingness.

"There must be more of those things. Williams, secure the tram. The Lieutenant and I will mark this beast UE and follow." The younger woman nodded and rushed off to make safe the monorail car. Once she had disappeared behind the small departures terminal, Shepard gave the biotic Lieutenant a playful punch in the arm as he summoned a holographic Unexploded Ordinance marker into life above the deactivated bomb.

"Damn it Kaidan, how many times do I have to tell you not to do these things without asking?" she added a sharp rap across the top of his helmet for good measure.

"I don't know, Commander, perhaps one more time. Besides, I like it when you have to remind me of the chain command."

"Um, Commander… this is an open channel," Ashley said, "and the terminal's clean, no hostiles in sight." The weight of the mission came crashing back down on Shepard's shoulders. Wearily she thumbed the radio to reply.

"Copy that, Chief. Heading over to your position."

The short ride across the spaceport seemed to drag on, especially as the small counter in the top corner of Shepard's HUD ticked down. The VI estimated countdown on the rest of the bombs gave them scant minutes to locate the rest of the fission augmented bombs. Luckily the trace release of radiation gave them a strong lead to follow. By now the alien dreadnaught had parted Eden Prime's thin cloud cover, leaving a red streak as electrical storms wreaked havoc on the otherwise peaceful sky. The overwhelming smell of ozone washed over the spaceport, seeping in even through the marines' helmet filters.

"I'm picking up movement!" Williams reported. Shepard saw it too. The squad of Geth, four strong and moving in tight cohesion, was waiting for them on the tram platform.

"Covering fire!" Shepard ordered. Fitting actions to words she unfurled her shotgun and opened up at extreme range. The diffuse spread of hypervelocity pellets drove the Geth defenders into cover. The added weight of Kaidan's biotics and Ashley's precise assault rifle fire kept them there. Spotting her opening, Shepard once again fired up her biotics, this time creating an unstable warp field between herself and the Geth. She pushed it forward with all her might, digging a furrow in the ground as the wave front of destruction advanced across the terminal. It exploded as it intersected with Kaidan's own biotics. The blast ripped the squad of Geth foot soldiers apart as eddies of dark energy propagated through them.

"Another one of those explosives, on the platform above," Kaidan pointed out.

"Move to disable, Williams, you and I are running interference." The team spread out as a fresh wave of attackers moved in from the sides. Rounds began to fly as Geth sighted in on the alliance marines.

"On the left!" Ashley drew back to toss one of her remaining grenades. The small disk detonated with a crash. Shepard plugged first one, then a second with snap shots. The ominous chiming of the overheat alarm rang in her helmet.

"Pull back, they're pressing in from the right." The marines tightened their lines as more Geth sprang onto the field.

"I've got it!" Kaidan yelled, "Watch your heads!" before either could react, the deactivated bomb came sailing past. It hit the ground with a crunch and began to roll. It left a wide swath empty in its wake. Kaidan dropped down beside Shepard and launched a carefully aimed volley at the sole standing Geth platform.

"There are two more of those bombs in the compound. And something… else. There's some pretty strange energy readings coming off of that landing platform. Must be that beacon we're down here for." Shepard eyed the estimated time left and came back with very few options. There was only one thing for it.

"We're going to need to split the party. You two head for the near site, I'll take out the far one, the one near the beacon. I know it's against fleet doctrine, but there's just not enough time to concentrate our forces." The two other marines looked uncomfortable with the order, but Williams seemed to accept them. Kaidan held a hand up in protest.

"Wait, Commander. You're the Alliance's first ever Spectre candidate, you can't risk yourself on a solo mission. Let me take the far site, keep Chief Williams with you on the near bomb."

"Fine, we don't have time to argue, take the far site. Williams, you're with me." The marine nodded. The three split up, advancing from cover to cover as they hopped over the rise that led to the final bomb sites. With a curt nod, Kaidan dropped over the rise and moved to disable the bomb that lay right at the foot of the strange beacon. Shepard turned her attention to the nearest bomb. The octagonal device lay at the bottom of the ramp down, across a narrow bridge from the beacon.

"Commander, we've got incoming!" the younger marine was already sighting in on the new arrivals. Shepard drew a bead too, expecting more Geth. Instead she found herself looking down her sights at a pack of the monstrous former colonists, the desiccated husks of their bodies driven around by glowing blue cybernetics.

Shepard suppressed a shudder and opened up on the wailing creatures. With a flash of biotics she was amongst them, weapon flashing back and forth as she beat the abominations back. Ashley's supporting fire kept her from being overwhelmed as more climbed up from fractures in the ground around the spaceport, streaming in from the site of the dreadnaught's burn pattern. Shepard thrust a biotic shockwave into the greying husks, tossing them aside. Alarms blared in her helmet as her amp heated to dangerous levels. She pushed aside the burning sensation and blinked back stars to find Ashley waving in front of her face.

"Commander, we've got to take out the bomb!" Shepard waved her away, lurching towards the bomb unsteadily. She forewent the careful prying open of the bomb's access hatch in favour of a spike of biotics. The expenditure cost her another hot flare of pain. She reached in and pulled the essential leads from the interior. The bomb's timer flashed off. Waves of relief hit her, counteracting the sickening feeling of biotic overuse.

"Kaidan," she said, her words sounding tinny in her own ears, "We've got the bomb, everything good on your end? Kaidan?" she looked up. The black armoured marine was still elbow deep in the circuitry of the explosive. "Damn it Alenko, respond!" Across the bridge, Kaidan pulled an arm out of the bomb to activate his helmet's radio. Before he could reach it though, he disappeared, hidden behind a blinding white curtain of light and heat. One last thought that ran through Shepard's head before the wave of pressure caught her.

_But we still had twenty seconds left…._

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_This idea has been knocking around my head for a while now. I've decided to commit it to the site, see how you guys like it. Given it's status as a kind of side-side-project, it probably won't update too often. Of course, I might shift it up in the priorities if i get a largish response. This fic will depart more dramatically from canon than my previous work, Interloper, and will most likely be darker in tone as well. Hope you enjoy reading.  
_

_-Liddle Out  
_


	2. Chapter 2: A Walk in the Dark

Vanguard of Vengeance: Chapter 2

Rolling….

Tumbling….

Falling….

The world was in motion as Shepard regained consciousness. She awoke to find herself surrounded by rapidly moving darkness, her body tumbling down into what had to be some great fissure. She tried her best to tuck her arms tight to her chest and keep her head away from the rocky floor she was currently sliding down, but cruel gravity had other ideas. Shepard cried out as a snag in the rock face caught her viciously just above the knee, wrenching her leg and flipping her into a head over heels roll that she could do little to escape. Fortunately it wasn't long before the slope evened out, dumping Shepard unceremoniously into a heap on the ground.

Shepard stared up into the inky blackness dizzily as the unseen roof of whatever cavern she had found herself in spun just outside of her vision. Her breathing raced, ragged and deep. Somewhere in her mind a voice screamed at her to get up, get herself together, Think! The voice wore the face of her old drill instructor. He stood before her now in his blue uniform, a whistle hanging from his lips as he somehow managed to bellow past it.

_Get up Marine! You think a batarian is going to wait for you to catch your breath? Get Up!_

"Yes, Drill…" Evangeline Shepard jerked up into a seated pose, the ghosts of her old teachers gone. She looked around and still found herself alone in the dark. She shook her head, inviting only a dull ache. Slowly, she forced herself to take deep breaths. Her heart still raced from the descent. My mind raced with it as she stared off into the dark. She reached around herself, groping for a light, a weapon, anything to shed some light on the pit she had fallen into. Her fingers grasped something, her fallen helmet. She clutched it to herself and tried to feel for the head lamp. The bulb popped and died, accomplishing nothing but erasing what little dark vision she had cultivated. She threw the headgear away with a disgusted snarl. By now she was taking regular breaths, slow enough to start breathing through her nose. She instantly regretted throwing away her helmet. Something foul drifted through the air.

"Think, Shepard, think." She swept the darkness again. Above and behind her, the faintest of lights drifted down from the end of a narrow crack in the earth. "The surface." She had to get back and report in. there'd be hell to pay for allowing the beacon destroyed, but the Alliance had to know. She tried to crawl back towards the light, but it was soon obvious that she wasn't climbing out that way. And by the look of the increasingly diffuse light, the tunnel she was in would soon be choked in radioactive dust. The only choice was to push deeper into the cave. She crawled to the side, looking for the wall. Her hands alighted on something smooth, too smooth to be a natural formation. She wished again for a light.

The next step was to actually take some. Shepard braced herself against the too-smooth wall and readied herself to put some weight on her wounded leg. She had to bite deep into the knuckle of her free hand to keep from screaming aloud. The echoes of her whimper died in the tunnel around her as she forced herself to slow her breathing again. Her free hand went to her medigel injectors. The soothing feeling of painkillers washed over her as medication surged through her system. She closed her eyes, for all the difference it made, and tried again. The pain in her leg was deadened, though it was still stiff. At her bidding, the servos in her leg armour kicked in, allowing her to slide, inch by inch, up the wall. Eventually she was standing, though unstably. She looked to her back and saw the haze of poisonous air was closer now. Steeling herself, Shepard forced her body to move one step at a time down the tunnel. She stopped, hearing something move further ahead of her. She stood with held breath, caught between trying to melt into the wall and declaring herself. Finally one side won out.

"Lieutenant Commander Eva Shepard, Alliance Marines. Show yourself." The darkness held its silence. Shepard drew a short blade from the small of her back and hobbled up the tunnel. She was nearing a fork in the path, one side illuminated by a dim orange glow.

"Hello?" Shepard said more strongly. All of this crawling around in the dark was seriously starting to piss her off.

In the pale light of the end of the tunnel, her eyes were able to start making sense of the darkness. The walls were a deep and oily black, smooth almost in their entirety except for were deep lines seemed to have been etched in, sketching strange patterns. It almost looked like the surface of the Prothean ruins of Mars, but lacked all of their inner green light. The surface seemed almost to absorb any light which fell on it, leaving strange and contorted shadows that danced as if cast by a candle. Shepard strained to pick out more detail as she struggled onwards.

There it was again, the scrape of something moving on the hard packed floor. Shepard spun around as fast as she dared, not sure which direction the sound had come from. The hall was silent again. Shepard swallowed and turned back to the dim light. She shuffled ahead, her walk becoming a single minded drive to get back into the light. The scrape came again, definitely from ahead of her, but she pressed on regardless. She was almost on top of the junction when a piercing cry drove itself though her like an ice pick. It was a haunted, mechanical wail, like that of the colonist husks but giving way to a mad chittering. The sound evoked images of maddened insects, and coincided with more of the sinister scraping noises.

Shepard prepared to launch herself around the corner to face whatever nightmare monster was moving through the tunnel ahead, but before she could so much as move a muscle, the creature shambled into view. In the dim glow of the side tunnel, its form could barely be made out, but what could be seen spoke of a wide, spoon shaped head, set with four baleful eyes. Scales ran down its back and wrapped around its chest. The body of the creature itself was a fresh horror, bearing deep gashes that could have been ripped by some clawed beast. The monster hissed as it came upon her. Shepard roared her own battle cry, injuries forgotten. The two collided and rolled into the dark spaces, scrabbling and fighting to gain leverage against the other. Shepard's short blade flashed down. The monster wailed piteously, curling up, almost shriveling. It lay still, an even fouler smell wafting from the fresh wound. Shepard wiped ichor from her chin and leaned heavily on her arm, dropping the blade.

The alien had gone down surprisingly easily. Pushing herself once again shakily to her feet, she grabbed the thing my one of its multi-jointed arms and dragged it into the dim orange glow. She held back waves of nausea as she looked down at the remains of the monstrous creature. The thick insectoid plates were slick with the aliens ruined insides, grey and peeling at the ragged edges. Some of the rents in the organic armour looked ages old, years, at least, older than the twisted puncture her knife had made. And so wide. Shepard looked around for a weapon that could have caused such wounds before her eyes fell on the thing's out stretched arm. She tentatively reached down and grasped the arm, bending it inwards until it rested against the beginning of the jagged rip. It fit almost perfectly. Shepard dropped the arm in a hurry. Whatever this thing was, it had done this to itself, or at least one like it had. Shepard took up her knife again and shambled forward into the light.

* * *

Shepard moved hurriedly now, hobbling on her wounded leg. The chittering that had pursued her through the barely lit tunnels rose to a fever pitch, circling ever closer. Close to her chest, she clutched at the strange and angular weapon she had scooped from the ground.

_The return of light to her painful little corner of the universe had done little to improve it. The dull orange glow had revealed a tall and narrow avenue with a stony ceiling that disappeared out of sight. The walls of the chamber were made of the same oily black material, lined by narrow ovals that rose in neat stacks up to the roof. Shepard had taken them for decoration until she had come upon some that had been pulled from the wall and broken open. They were tall, almost eight feet in length. The ones that had been opened revealed a deeper horror, and explained the miasmal odor that clung to every inch of the room. The pods had been coffins, or else meat lockers. Strange leaf headed aliens had hung, leaned, and oozed from the broken pods. Some were little more than skeletons, skeletons that showed signs of many pointed teeth. Shepard had tried to push the implications from her mind. The dim orange glow had been emitted from a root like growth that pushed out of the floor and some of the displaced pods. Wrapped in these roots were more of the aliens from the tunnel. All of them had been dead, contorted, and decaying. Shepard had held her knife before her like a long sword, her eyes frantically sweeping the avenue. From high up in the galleries, an oily sound had trickled down in thick tendrils._

Shepard turned another corner. One of the creatures hissed at her from its hole high in the wall. Shepard pointed her weapon at it, pulling hard on the activation stud. The weapon emitted a deep rolling thrum and a bright lance of verdant green that pierced the darkness. It punched a hole deep into the monster's chest, throwing it back into its hole. The voices and whisperings returned, working at the frayed edges of her mind. They told her to lay down her weapon, lay down her body, lay down her life. Shepard swore at the voices and pushed on. Another corner.

Shepard ducked around and pressed her back against the wall. The scraping crawl of the beasts moved in closer. Shepard slowed her breathing, waiting, ready. The curved head of the alien loomed into view. Shepard yelled and smashed her weapon down on the head of the alien. She pressed the weapon hard into a gap in the plates and mashed the stud. Vibrant light blinded her again, tearing the creature apart from the inside. The two smoking halves fell with a wet slap to the dirty floor. Shepard spat on the pile of burnt organs and sucked in another shuddering breath. She brushed her sweat plastered hair out of her eyes and leaned heavily against the wall. The rush of combat had wiped away the voices, at least for a while. It did nothing to wipe away the steady scraping of oncoming feet though.

Shepard heaved herself fully upright and dragged herself back into a slow lope. Her own limp drew scraping noises from the ground as she pushed on. Somewhere, something had heard her, because the halls were filled with a much stronger whirr of motion, a sound that reminded Shepard of the flapping of insect wings. Something heavy fell close behind. Shepard threw herself back into the shadows. Whatever had landed dragged itself close. From the sound it was big, though the regular beats of its footfalls didn't speak of any major wounds. Shepard hazarded a glanced and instantly wished she hadn't.

It was another monster, similar in form but larger in size. The wide brim of its head's crest had to be three feet wide. Its body, held up by crablike legs, was corpulent in the extreme, bloated and wrinkled but unscarred. Its eyes burned with a baleful inner light. It chittered noisily, raising a threatening claw. Shepard burst into as fast a run as her busted leg could move her. The monster pursued, heaving itself heavily across the trash littered floor. Something caught Shepard's boot, driving her to the floor. Her head cracked against the side of something hard. She tried to wrench her boot away, but another one of the aliens had closed a two-fingered claw around her uncle. She kicked at it, loosening its grip but unable to get free. Her knee wrenched painfully, loosing a scream. The monster at the end of the hall moved closer, looming.

Something landed flatly next to her head. Turning her eyes, Shepard saw a foot, armoured and possessing two toes. Her eyes followed it up the leg, her eyes eventually falling on an alien face, pale green in the dull light. Four eyes locked onto her own two. The alien shouted something, a warbling buzz that rang in her ears.

"I don't understand." Shepard managed between breaths. The alien dismissed her and reached down to pluck the weapon from her hands. He raised it to his shoulder and loosed jade lightning on the approaching beast. The thing gave a squeal that rose to a roaring howl. The alien lashed out again and again until the monster was slain. Having destroyed the lumbering enemy, the alien turned the weapon on the monster that clutched Shepard's leg. The lightning came again, this time peeling back the layers of organic armour. Seemingly satisfied, the alien folded the weapon into a tight rectangle and slung it over his shoulder. He stretched out his hand towards Shepard. She extended her own hand, expecting a help up. Instead the alien clasped her about the elbow and dragged her to her feet. His other hand came down, two fingers gripping at her face. There was a rush of strange images and emotions as the alien's double pupiled eyes bore into hers. He released her with a jolt, and with his next breath spoke in deep voice.

"Why have you woken me, hu-man?"

* * *

Author's Note:

I've been really happy with the level of response from you guys. Especially those who have already reviewed. So, I'm happy to announce that I will continue to work on this piece, hopefully maintaining the quality set in the opening.

AdamMc66: I'm glad you're enjoying the story, I can tell you that the Council is not going to enjoy Shepard getting the Prothean beacon blown up. Who's to say what they'll think about her bringing a friend home with her.

Seven: I'm afraid not everyone might make it to the end of this story, but rest assured that all of the canon squadmates will have a part to play before it's over.

NonSolus: This is in fact all in Canon, (for now) no OCs or Self Inserts here.


	3. Chapter 3: to Ashes

Vanguard of Vengeance Chapter 3

* * *

"Does your species have no tongue?" the alien spoke again in its deep, flanged tones. "Speak! Why have you come here?"

Shepard, weak from the running combat above ground and below it, from her wounds and from overstrained biotics, could only stare at the hostile warrior. Shepard was no stranger to alien species; she had met many species during her stint with the Alliance Marines. She'd killed more than her fair share on battlefields near and far. But she had never seen something quite so alien as this figure, though even in him there was a strange familiarity. In his layered lacquered armour, he would have looked comfortable swinging a sword around on the battlefields of feudal Japan, but that was where the similarities ended. The alien had a broad, flat face. Four double-pupiled eyes glared balefully from behind wide rimmed eyelids. His bifurcated lips curled, perhaps in disgust.

"There was an explosion, I fell…" Shepard's head was still fuzzy. She shook it to clear the ringing. The alien in the dark snapped into sharper focus. "The Beacon. I'm here for the beacon. The Geth blew it up."

"Your report is insufficient, the neural imprint was incomplete. Bring me to your Imperial Sadar, we will need to move quickly if we are to save my men." The alien spoke with the absolute certainty of command. "This beacon you speak of, it is of the Empire, yes? That is what brought the new Protheans here?"

_That word… Prothean._

"You're a Prothean?" Shepard asked. The strange alien spun around.

"Of course, how could you not…" doubt filtered into the alien's voice for the first time. "Halt this nonsense at once. You will take me to the duly appointed representative of the Prothean Empire at once."

"The Prothean Empire's been extinct for fifty thousand years," Shepard responded, "I am Commander Shepard, Earth Systems Alliance Marines. We were investigating one of your beacons when the Geth attacked our colony here. They had a massive dreadnought with them, bigger than anything than I've ever seen before." Shepard's voice grew steadier as her thoughts flew back to her. The air wasn't so close here, and the strange, ever-present oily feeling lightened. "I'm afraid the beacon is gone, but if you really are a living Prothean…"

"Stop," the Prothean raised a hand, wide head canted, as if thoughtful, "You say these Geth came to this world in a massive dreadnought? What did it look like? Tell me!" he rounded on her, bringing himself to his full and rather impressive height.

"It looked, it looked like a massive hand, coming down out of the sky," Shepard held up her own hand, noticing that the alien only had the two fingers on each of his. Something changed in the Prothean's face, an emotion. It wasn't quite like fear, but something else, deeper. A complex mix of dread, anger, hatred that contorted the pale face. And something else too. Though Shepard had never seen a face as alien as this, somehow she was offered a brief glance at understanding. What she saw was hopelessness.

"Then the Empire has truly fallen, and the Reapers have come again. Return to your people, human. You are doomed." The alien turned away and drew his strange weapon. Slowly, he began to walk back the way Shepard had come, back into the ruins of his fallen empire.

"Wait a second," Shepard said roughly, "Hold on, I'm not finished with you yet. What are these Reapers? The one's flying around in that dreadnaught? Sure, they made a mess of one of our colonies, but against a fleet or two?"

"They are not _in_ the dreadnaught," the alien brusquely said without turning to look at her, "they _are _the dreadnought, or at least, _it_ is one of them. They are machines, older than stars, and the enemy of all sentient life. You may not know their name today, but soon you will scream it in desperation to the burnt skies of your worlds. If their vanguard is here, then my mission has failed."

"What mission? Are these the reason your empire was destroyed all those millennia ago?" Shepard limped after him.

"Mine and countless others. I was to be my people's Vengeance. The builder of a new Empire, stronger than that which came before. One prepared for the Reapers. But it is too late."

"You said this was their first wave, just a scout, right? Then why don't you help us? Shouldn't the 'Vengeance of the Protheans' be doing something a little more proactive than skulking in a cave?"

"Alone? This complex has fallen to the Corrupted. They have feasted on my brother warriors and broken the pods of those who would arm us. The Reapers toppled empires, and you would have me fight them with an array of primitives at my back?" Shepard lost a great deal of her cultivated cool. She snatched the warrior by his armoured cowl.

"Who are you calling primitives, you, you, coward!" she spat the final word in defiance, "When my people first encountered the aliens of this galaxy we fought a war they said couldn't be won, but here we are. We fought off long odds and a hefty technology gap, but we survived. I don't see how this is any different."

"Then you truly do not comprehend the power of the Reapers," He said stoically, "now unhand me." He shook off her grip and continued walking.

"I can't let you walk off and get yourself killed in this hole!" Shepard shouted after him, "I these Reapers are everything you describe, we're going to need you if we want a chance. I didn't get myself blown up out there to come home empty handed!"

"And I suppose you'll stop me?" the alien said, "you are in no fit shape to stop one of our younglings, let alone an Avatar." Shepard limped on after him, but internally, she knew he was right. After the fight, both above and below the surface, her body ached and groaned with every motion. By this point she was running almost purely on grit and adrenaline. And besides, the radiation from the blast alone would have her floating in the Tub for at least a week, soaking in the bio-active medigel.

"I'll have to try," Shepard responded, unsheathing her short blade. The alien did not notice, or did not deign to respond, only marching further into the complex. The oily sound was back, prying its way into Shepard's head and making her feel sick to her stomach. They reached the junction in which she'd had to fight her way past the monstrous insectoids. The alien stopped, looking to and fro. Shepard used the chance to catch up. If there was a way to disable him, maybe she could drag him back out of the hole. If not, his body might lend credence to her story at her debriefing, should she make it to one.

The alien turned unexpectedly. Shepard almost stumbled, dropping the knife.

"You did this?" the Prothean gestured with his head, "Alone?"

"Do you see anyone else in this corridor?" Shepard asked gamely. She swiped a drop of blood that had run down her face, sure to keep her blade between herself and the Prothean and her eyes latched to his.

"Perhaps your primitive race has some fight in it after all." He swept the ruinous remains of battle again before two pairs of eyes alighted once again on her face. "I will come with you. My duty demands I destroy the Reapers wherever I find them, and if that means joining my arms with yours I will do it. But here this, just because you have my respect does not mean you have me. If I am to submit to your forces, it is not as a captive."

"No arguments here, people fight better when their hands are untied." Shepard held both of hers up, knife turned sideways and loosely held.

"A most wise assessment," The alien said, "I am called Javik, Avatar of Vengeance and now _First Pradhan_ of the Prothean Empire by right of survival."

"Lieutenant Commander Evangeline Shepard, Systems Alliance Marines." Shepard held out a hand. Javik took it in his own, two fingered grip. The two warriors shook hands. "Good," Shepard said as she pulled back, "Now I don't suppose you know a way out."

* * *

Captain David Anderson of the Alliance Navy stood under the hood of a full hazardous material suit. He hated the glaring yellow thing, a displeasure clearly written across every inch of his well-weathered face. But it was the only way his by the book XO, Charles Pressly, would allow him to go groundside. And with the now towering plume that still rose from what had once been Eden Prime's largest city and primary spaceport, Anderson supposed the thick rubberized suit was warranted. The blast from what had been identified as a Geth nuclear device had been surprisingly small given the yield, but the radiation cloud, that would spell doom for the entire settlement.

_God, a whole colony nuked, a Geth attack, and the Alliance's leading Spectre candidate gone in the flash._ Anderson pushed away angry memories and instead looked to the survivors of the mission. An erect and watchful turian, Nihlus, and a downtrodden looking Gunnery Chief from the local garrison. Both were already receiving radiation exposure treatment via thick IVs. The Chief, granddaughter of the infamous General Williams held her helmet clutched between her scuffed knee plates, balanced atop the barrel of a Lancer pattern assault rifle that had seen better days. Her gaze was cast downwards, her head resting on bent hands that reached up to clasp at her deep brown hair. She seemed to realize she was being watched, because she rose to a standing position and threw him a salute.

_Sloppy, _the Captain thought, _but forgivable. _He could forgive a slip in decorum after a tragedy of such a magnitude. The Chief's eyes widened, focus drawn to something over Anderson's shoulder. Anderson followed her gaze. Two figures limped from a fissure in the rock several meters away, one tall, obviously alien, the other shorter and clad in Alliance blue.

"Commander Shepard?" it was one of the sentries. The man raised his rifle, unsure what to do. The alien was carrying what could be a weapon, as well as supporting an obviously injured commander.

"Stand down," Shepard ordered, "he's with me."

* * *

Shepard recognized the man in the yellow hazmat suit the second he approached. She saluted as she caught the tired eyes set in the dark-skinned face half hidden behind the wide plastic hood.

"Captain Anderson, I'm afraid I have to report mission failure. My team was unable to secure the beacon." Shepard clung to protocol like a shield, knowing that facing the likely disapproving eyes of her CO and friend would be the final nail in the coffin. Anderson understood, only replying with a gruff, "Noted, Commander. Wherever you've been, it looks like you've had it rough."

"It's Hell down there, sir," Shepard reported, eyes flicking towards the fissure, "or at least as close I've seen since Torfan." A hand scratched at the scar tissue that rose just below the short clipped, coffee coloured hair just above her left ear self-consciously.

"It's not exactly the Pearly Gates up here, commander," the Captain put a hand on her back to gently guide her towards waiting medics, "What the hell happened, we lost contact after the drop."

"The Geth fought a delaying action almost from the very beginning, sir. They must have set the charges before we arrived. Whatever was on that beacon was worth glassing an entire settlement."

"Not quite a glassing, a shaped charge, more of a dirty bomb than a nuke. The damn thing took the beacon with it and rendered everything else uninhabitable," Anderson corrected, "You're saying you didn't get anything from the beacon?"

"No sir, but I may have gotten something better," Shepard turned to look at Javik. The alien stood at rest, though watchful of the marine sentries that now ringed him. Neither side made a move. "He says he's Prothean."

"No shit?" Chief Williams had joined the discussion, "That is, no shit, sir. But how can he be Prothean? Wouldn't that make him…"

"Fifty thousand years old," Nihlus completed, "seems unbelievable."

"When I found him he was sealed inside some kind of stasis pod," Shepard said.

"No stasis is that perfect," Williams said.

"Not that we know of," Nihlus added, "but perhaps the Protheans… Commander, while your mission was to secure the beacon, this perhaps may be a greater prize."

"The Prothean is in Alliance custody as of now," Anderson quickly said, nodding to one of his men to make a note. "I understand the deal with the Council was to share the beacon, but the beacon is gone now. Until further orders to the contrary, I'll retain responsibility over it." Nihlus said nothing, but it was obvious his mind was already formulating plans and preparing for future action.

"Him, sir," Shepard corrected, "and there's something else. When I woke him up… Sir, I think he knows what attacked us, and if it's even half as bad as he makes it out to be, the Council will need to hear him."

Anderson made a rough sound, a half cough he often made while chewing over some particularly distressing news. "Udina's not going to like this." He stood silent for a time, before speaking again, "But you leave the politicians to me. Report to decon and then back to the _Normandy_ for treatment. You're going to need a strong stomach to face the kind of stuff this is going to dredge up."

Shepard nodded, eyes on the Prothean. She saluted and turned towards the _Normandy_, which perched squatly on bent wings, its needle like profile stark against the dust strewn sky. A sealed tent had been erected over the entrance ramp, keeping out the already swirling fallout. Shepard trudged through the darkening FOB, trailing medtechs and corpsmen. Bravely, she turned one last time to look up at the pall that hung over the mission site. Deep inside, something snapped. The gritted resolve that had held her upright for so long dissolved as the dust swirled above her, and darkness clouded her mind.


	4. Chapter 4: En Route

Vanguard of Vengeance: Chapter 4

The dim, diffuse light of the _Normandy's_ med bay refracted strangely on the convex glass of the tank. Shepard floated gently in the bio-active medigel as miniscule nano-machines that resided in what the marines not so affectionately called "The Tub" worked to repair the damage done by battle and radiation. Down on Eden Prime, she had had no time to stop, no time to think. From the moment her boots had touched soft earth, she had been living completely in the mission. Even after the massive explosion that had thrown her deep underground, her mind had been sharp, focused. Now that the fog of battle had lifted her mind ached from multiple overlapping thoughts that chased each other through her head. Her mission had been a failure, despite the discovery of the Prothean complex beneath the colony.

While Shepard was no stranger to a botched operation, she was afraid this would be the one that ended her career. A colony lost, and along with it one of the most prized repositories of knowledge in the known galaxy. And Kaidan. Shepard tried not to think of the smiling face that she would never see again. Perhaps without that entry onto the list of things lost in that explosion, she'd have been able to shrug off the defeat, as she had in the past. The biotic lieutenant had been there to offer a reassuring voice at her ear, a reassuring hand on her skin. Now all that remained of him was that damned empty folding chair that stared at her from just beyond the glass.

Shepard tried to drive the thought from her mind. The mission came first. That was what her instructors had drilled into her after scooping her out of the gangs. First step: break down the problem. Easy enough when planning to storm a bunker or clear out a pirate frigate, but this situation… Shepard didn't think she'd ever faced down such a looming cliff. However, as Shepard's fatigued mind regained focus, the processes began to click one by one. Her opening move would be to touch base with Anderson. Her commanding officer had been in the service since long before she had stepped off of Earth, so he'd have more of an idea of how to handle the political fallout. Maybe he'd have a few strings to pull.

That only left halting the advance of a civilization-ending plague of mechanical locusts bent on destroying sentient life. Shepard's mind ran away from her as it followed multiple threads: troop displacements and ship designs. Ideas heaped upon ideas until her head rang with them. Eventually she gave up the effort, allowing her eyes to slide shut.

* * *

_The Hunter looked out across the plains. The Reaper Scourge had come to this world at last. The Hunter had arrived on the last wave of refugees almost a decade ago, and since then the world had been quiet. Unusually so, considering that the War still raged on throughout the galaxy. Certainly, the Governors had continued with their grand breastworks and the militia drilled in the parks and green spaces. But it was a hollow preparation, a parade of form over function. The people of this world had treated the Reaper War as they would have some minor colonial insurrection or Zha'till raid. However, they were now discovering the error of their ways. Massive metal structures descended from the sky, disgorging their hordes of abominations onto the plains before the city. The Reaper's spherical Occuli screamed overhead, dragging behind them red-hot trails of destruction. The Hunter turned to their companion. "We must get you off of this planet, while we still have the chance. The Reapers will not be watching the Relay with their attention focused on the planet." The companion looked uncomfortable. His four eyes blinked uneasily, hands clenched into fists as he roiled just beneath the surface. "Avatar Javik, we must go…"_

* * *

A freshly decanted Commander Shepard stood at parade rest before her commanding officer's desk, arms held loosely at the small of her back as Captain Anderson read from her prepared report. His eyebrows held their usual deep-knitted frown as he slowly scrolled through. After a while he put down the pad with a sigh.

"I don't know what to say, Shepard, it looks like you're about to be in for a world of trouble. Ha, by the looks of it, _I'm_ about to be in a world of trouble."

"Sir?" Shepard shifted weight, turning ever so slightly to look at her mentor. The older Captain leaned back into his chair and rubbed at his eyes.

"Don't think that I'm about to throw you under the bus. You're a good soldier; Shepard, the Alliance can't afford to lose you to some political bullshit. But this…" he nudged the report, "An irradiated colony, an alien in our custody, loss of our objective to enemy action; this is going to look bad, worse than bad to the Council. They're going to come after you, after you're SPECTRE candidacy, and after your commission. Don't be surprised if they take out all the stops on this one."

"What do you suggest I do, sir?" Shepard asked.

"I've called in a few favours within Alliance command; we're pulling up all of the vid taken on Eden Prime. The scale of this enemy, these... Reapers… I don't think any one soldier can be expected to come out with a victory against those kinds of odds."

"You think I should rest on the defense that this was an unwinnable situation?"

"That alone? No. But it's a good start. If we can get the Council focused on the greater threat, well, they're going to need all the experts they can find, and I do believe all four of them are currently aboard this ship."

"Four of us, Sir?" Shepard said, quickly running through the crew, "You mean me, Chief Williams, and the Prothean?"

"And, of course, our guest SPECTRE." Anderson responded, "Don't count out his influence. We'll need him on-side." Shepard rankled at the suggestion. "Don't give me that look, Commander," the Captain continued, "I don't like relying on a Turian any more than you do, but I think the guy is genuinely impressed with your skills. Talk to him, get inside his head. It might just save your career."

"Yes, Sir." Shepard said with a reluctant nod of the head.

* * *

"This seat taken?"

The Turian looked up from his own copy of Shepard's report. His eyes moved slowly to meet hers, his head cocked in a sign of interest.

"No, Commander, it is not. I suppose you have come to me to discuss my report to the Council regarding what transpired on Eden Prime?" Shepard offered him only a stony face as she sat down across from the SPECTRE. Dropping her tray, and any pretense that she had some motive other than doing that very thing, she spoke quickly and without flourish.

"Yes. That my report?"

"It is; an accurate account of events as could be expected from one in your unenviable position, commander," Nihlus said as he switched the pad off.

"And you'll be writing your own account, I assume?" Shepard asked.

"Already have," the Turian corrected, "it reads much the same. What it lacks is the revelations you have apparently drawn out of the living Prothean." Shepard watched the Turian's face carefully. She was in no way an expert in the alien's body language, but even she sensed a kind of patient observation, not quite predatory, but not quite friendly either. An impassionate observer.

"I would think the Council would want to know about the possibility of galactic destruction," Shepard said flatly. Nihlus' careful control broke down a little and he chuckled darkly.

"Then you do not know the Council as I do. They may not want to hear about these so-called Reapers, but they definitely won't like hearing about a possibly Prothean alien being held by an Alliance warship. And they don't have to, at least not until I can confirm this… _Pradhar_ Javik."

Shepard blinked in surprise. "You're going to hold that from them, why?"

"It may surprise you, but the politicians on the Council don't always see eye to eye with those they empower to keep their shining galaxy spinning. I want you in the SPECTREs, Shepard. A lot of us don't want to let humans anywhere near a position of authority, but I look for talent wherever I can find it. I'd induct a vorcha if I could trust him to hold to his oaths, and I saw some decent raw material."

"I suppose I should be flattered," Shepard said.

"Don't be, much of the galaxy doesn't see you as much better than that vorcha. Aggressive, having ideas above your station. That's going to work against you at your hearing."

"Hearing?"

"Oh, there'll be a hearing. There's a lot of money wrapped up in exploration of Prothean tech. The Asari will be especially upset."

The Turian pushed himself up from the table, giving a nod of respect.

* * *

Shepard sat alone in her bunk. In her hands lay an antique pen and paper notebook. A gift from a young lieutenant who had once noted that her biotics often interfered with anything more advanced. She stroked the now faded cover with a sad smile before opening it and putting pen to paper. Words seemed to spill from her pen unbidden as she allowed her mind to float free. She never read what she wrote in this state; she always had far too much floating around her head to add more to the clutter. After filling a page, she felt depleted. She tucked the notebook back into its place in her footlocker and set her mind to her plans.

The meetings with Anderson and Nihlus had done much to put her at ease, at least as far as her status as candidate went. With a SPECTRE on her side and the weight of the Captains contacts, it would take extraordinary action to strip her of rank and mission.

That mission, however, gave her more pause. Making up her mind, she rose and shrugged on her more imposing garrison blues. She strode purposefully towards the cargo bay elevator. With no designated holding areas, Anderson had quartered the Prothean in the bay, under the watchful eye of Marine sentries. At this time, only the Chief, Williams stood guard. The Prothean knelt in a silent meditation of some kind.

"Hasn't moved since he came aboard, Commander," Ashley said after trading salutes, "won't talk to anyone."

"I will speak when those of appropriate rank are present to be spoken to," Javik said in a bass rumble. Four eyes flicked open. "Commander Evangeline Shepard. You have come to speak of the Reapers."

"How did you…" Ashley started.

"It is the only topic worth speaking about," Javik said sternly. "Your commander at least recognizes this fact. I will tell you of the Prothean's fight against the Reapers, but not while you treat me like a common prisoner."

"I'm not really in charge of that," Shepard admitted, "but if you give us some actionable intel I could see what I can do about that."

"Commander?" Ashley interrupted, "I'm all for an interrogation, but Alliance protocol…"

"Irrelevant, my information will not be bartered for promises. I will part with nothing until I am released from this hold."

An alert flashed on Shepard's Omni-tool. She quickly read the message, breaking into a smile. "I've got some good news for you, Javik, we just arrived at the Citadel. Anderson's ordered you released to the Alliance Embassy. I'll be taking that intel now."

* * *

Author's Note:

Good news, readers. I'm picking up an editor for this and my other stories. This will probably mean a longer production cycle, but I'm hoping it will lead to an overall improvement in my work. A big thanks to my new beta reader, user Shinigamiryuksan and to my new editor. And, of course, all of my reviewers.


	5. Chapter 5: Hearing

Vanguard of Vengeance: Chapter 5

The Normandy's airlock cycled with a soft chime. The hemi-cylindrical hatch rotated upwards onto the open space, or at least what looked like open space. Shepard stepped out into nothingness until her boot clomped onto the hard metal ramp. The illusion dispelled, she cast her gaze back forward, towards the Systems Alliance docking spire. Uniformed Embassy security officers awaited her party in silent ranks. Shepard nodded to their sergeant, a man she had known from an earlier deployment, and signaled for the shore party to follow her down the ramp. They were five in total, Anderson, herself, the Gunnery Chief form Eden Prime, Nihlus, and bringing up the rear, the alien. For security's sake and against his vehement objection, Javik had been holographically disguised as an elcor.

"Gentlemen," Anderson spoke up as they reached the bottom of the ramp. "I want our guest escorted directly to the embassy, no detours. Is that clear?" The sergeant nodded and dispensed a rapid flurry of orders to his men. The security officers filed around the disguised Prothean and set off at a casual pace.

"Do they know what they are guarding, sir?" Shepard asked, curious.

"I specifically ordered that they not be informed. We can't have word getting out or we'll be mobbed. As far as they know, he's a trader from one of the Elcor moons here to set up a vital relief deal with our colonies in wake of the disaster."

"You realize that I'll still have to report this to the council?" Nihlus said. The Turian watched the alien go with a mix of unreadable emotions etched across his scaly face.

"That is a kind of mob that I think we can handle." A new voice joined the conversation, floating across the terminal. Shepard recognized that voice well. She hated it.

"Ambassador Udina," Anderson said respectfully. "You've been given the brief I sent you?"

"I did, come; this is not the place for a discussion of this magnitude. We'll go to my office, where we won't be overheard." The ambassador extended a hand towards the dock's single elevator. Anderson nodded. The group walked in step down the pier. The elevator ride was as to be expected on the Citadel, agonizingly slow and filled with a trite little tune. Shepard leaned against the glass, watching the blue clad C-Sec operatives mill around as she slowly descended towards them. They were mainly Turian, though she spotted the odd salarian, asari, and rare human. Shepard thought it ironic that all Alliance traffic was stuck being funneled through a de facto Turian enclave, someone on the Council must have felt pretty pleased with themselves the day they'd set that up. Not that Shepard could complain. Having to go through C-Sec discouraged a lot of the more anti-human elements of the massive station from causing mischief.

The elevator came to rest with a clunk. The round doors swung open to let in a rush of sound. Barked orders mixed with whispered conversations that blended into harsh accusations, all of which was overlaid by the computerized voice of the announcement system. Shepard and the rest stepped out to brave the storm, twisting and turning to get through the crowded checkpoint.

"Spectre Nihlus!" a voice called from across the room. Nihlus gave the closest Turian equivalent to a smile and excused himself, pushing through the crowd to greet another of his Species.

"I was wondering how long it would take to lose him," Udina whispered darkly, "If he testifies against you , Shepard…"

"I'm well aware of the consequences, Ambassador. I'm ready to accept the consequences."

"That's all well and good, but this kind of thing affects more than just you."

"That's enough, Ambassador," Anderson intervened. "We'll discuss this in your office, as you said." Udina muttered something under his breath, but he didn't bring up any more complaints. He did set a brisk pace though, first catching another elevator up to the Presidium, then storming through the avenues and parks to the Human Embassy. Shepard tried to take in as much as possible. If there was one thing Humanity had gained from its first contact with aliens, it was the chance to visit the Presidium. No matter the amount of political bull that got slung about, the maneuvering, the blocking, the false smiles and oily handshakes, the ring was a thing of beauty. Shepard arched her back, looking straight up. Above, the artificial skyline glowed softly, though if you focused you could see the Widow Nebula beyond. Looking ahead, Shepard followed the never-ending parks and green spaces rise up into the sky.

She smiled, remembering a time she and Kaidan had… She caught herself. She balled her fists and pushed the memories away.

"Is something the matter, Commander?" Anderson leaned in close and spoke softly.

"No, sir," Shepard said flatly. Anderson backed off, looking worried, but he didn't push.

* * *

The Human Embassy was a cramped space, three separate rooms and functions all compressed and spilling into each other. A small interview space backed onto staffer's desks, which in turn almost intruded into a tight waiting room. Only Udina's office offered a modicum of privacy, flanked as it was by prefab walls built in ugly grey. Udina waved the group through the doors, which closed with a hiss behind them, blotting the noise of the busy office.

"Now, we can get to the business at hand," Udina started. The man maneuvered himself to stand behind his abbreviated desk. "The facts are ugly, so I'll lay them out straight. We have lost the beacon. That'll piss off the Council, as will that SPECTRE's report that we recovered a live Prothean and didn't tell them about it. Now, the fallout will be intense, but I think we can weather it. Some sacrifices will have to be made."

"You're talking about my SPECTRE application, aren't you?" Shepard asked. Her voice quavered ever so slightly, almost imperceptible to anyone who hadn't known her for a _long_ time. To Anderson, it was a warning sign.

"Very perceptive of you, Commander. If all evidence didn't point to the contrary, I'd say that you were the perfect candidate for the job." His voice was thin and snide.

Shepard's own voice rose in challenge. "I did everything I could, damn it! Good men died down there! It's not just some political fallout!"

"Commander, you are out of line!" Anderson surprised the assembled by raising his own voice. "The ambassador's ambitions aside, this is the situation we're in. The Alliance's position is delicate, more delicate than we even tell our public. Now sit down and listen to what Udina has to say." Shepard blinked. She hadn't realized that she'd risen from her chair. She retook it slowly.

"Now, if there will be no further interruptions." Udina resumed his speech. "The Prothean gives us a chance here. He's a valued commodity, one of a kind. The secrets of Prothean knowledge he might have locked up in his head…"

"Ambassador, the Prothean, Javik, is a soldier, he's not a scientist. And he's not going to like being used for barter."

"Be that as it may, that will not be immediately apparent to the Council. If we let them assume there are secrets, they'll run with it. Unmitigated access to the Prothean should draw off the fire for losing the beacon, who knows; maybe you'll still have a shot at the SPECTREs."

"So that's our plan? We trade the Prothean for amnesty?" Shepard shook her head slowly. Stray images still drifted in her head. Images of fighting and death, much of it alien to her. "And how are we going to play the attack?"

Udina drummed his fingers against his cheek. "Yes, the attack. The Geth being on the move will certainly distract from your failures. And perhaps we may even be able to negotiate a dreadnaught or two out of the incident."

"What of these Reapers?" Anderson asked.

"The Prothean's boogiemen? A threat back in his day, perhaps, but not anymore. You'll keep your testimony to the hard facts, things we can confirm. Now, I've worked in your hearing for later today…"

Shepard let the rest of his words wash over her, ignoring the rest of the briefing. It was clear that the ambassador wouldn't listen, so why should she reciprocate? Her mind drifted instead to the hearing. Without backup, it was up to her to convince them of the Reaper threat. Images flashed before her eyes, images of whole colonies going up in smoke. Yes, she'd bring them to admit there was a threat if she had to drag them out to Eden Prime personally.

* * *

The chambers of the Citadel Council were massive, encased as they were by the Presidium Tower. They rose in tiered steps past gardens and statues, leading up to a wide open space. Shepard tugged uncomfortably at the dress uniform she had been told to wear, yearning for the simple BDUs, or even the familiar weight of her combat harness.

"This place is built like a fortress," Chief Williams whispered sidelong at Shepard. "Give me a platoon and I could hold this room against the Turian fleet." Shepard nodded, letting her eyes fall over the fountains and rock structures. It did look like it had been designed by a being who had anticipated a firefight breaking out on the steps. Even the statuary seemed to maximize the amount of concrete and metal placed at roughly chest height.

"You all remember your roles?" Udina asked for the third time. Shepard fought the growing urge to punch the little grey-haired man. "Just stick to the script and maybe the Alliance will struggle through this debacle."

Feet clomped on metal as the diplomat led the Marines forward. The group rounded the crest of the Council chamber and finally came face to face with the three most powerful individuals in Citadel space. The Councilors had set themselves up on a high platform made almost entirely of glass, separated from the narrow petitioner's bridge by a sharp drop into open space. Galleries lined the sides of the chamber. Some of them had already filled with onlookers; aliens come to gloat at humanity's latest fumble no doubt.

"The Council recognizes the delegation from the Systems Alliance," the leftmost Councilor, a Salarian, said in a voice cast throughout the chambers. "The hearing regarding the SPECTRE candidacy of human, Commander Evangeline Shepard may begin." Somewhere a metallic chime sounded. "The SPECTRE, Nihlus, was assigned to your assessment. He will deliver the facts of your case for deliberation. Shepard turned as footsteps approached from behind her. The dark crested Turian ascended the steps to mount a similar bridge. Unlike the Commander, the Turian was still dressed in his battered black and red combat armour, though the suit had evidently received a new layer of polish.

"Esteemed members of the Council," Nihlus began. "It is solemn duty to report on the events on the Human colony of Eden Prime. As you can see from my report…" Nihlus manipulated his Omni-tool. At once, copies of his report flashed into existence before the members of the Council. Nihlus went into a detailed analysis of the combat on the planet. He described the Geth, their numbers, their actions. Shepard couldn't help but be impressed by his neutral hand on the subject matter. Any number of Turians would have turned the report into a carnival tour of Humanity's failings in the matter. Nihlus remained objective throughout.

"… and so I must conclude, through Shepard's actions, the day was not a complete loss." Nihlus finished, closing his report.

"Yes, very interesting. You say the Humans were able to actually revive a living Prothean?" The Turian Councilor asked.

"Yes, Councilor, that is true." The SPECTRE answered without looking at Shepard.

"This is troubling," the Asari Councilor said, "deeply troubling. Where is the Prothean now?" It was Udina's turn to speak.

"The Prothean is a guest of the System's Alliance embassy," the man said quickly and smoothly, "He has identified himself as a Head of State and is being treated as such."

"You expect us to believe that?" the Turian Councilor said. "More likely you are holding him for interrogation. The Prothean should be remanded to Council custody immediately."

"My colleague may be blunt, but he is correct," the Asari said more diplomatically. "The Council has rules against the hoarding of Prothean technology."

"Be that as it may, the custody of the revived Prothean is not the purpose of this hearing," Udina said quickly, "If we could return to the matter at hand."

"As you wish," the Salarian Councilor said. "With SPECTRE Nihlus' testimony, I believe we have all of the evidence we need. Unless, that is, the Candidate herself has anything to add." Eyes fell on Shepard. She glanced sidelong at Udina. The Ambassador shook his head ever so slightly. Shepard set her teeth and looked the Councilors dead in the eyes.

"I have no further comment," she managed.

"Good, then we will press on," the Turian said, "SPECTRE Nihlus, what is your recommendation?" The black-crested Nihlus stood at attention.

"Given the circumstances, the candidates actions under fire, and the successful recovery of the Prothean, I recommend that Candidate Shepard's application be accepted with all due haste. I look forward to serving with her."

Shepard could only look at the SPECTRE in astonishment. The Turian turned and gave his species' closest approximation of a smile.

"Excellent, shall we continue straight to the inauguration?" Udina said, happy for once. "Only there's the matter of the attackers at Eden Prime. We…" but he was cut off.

"While in most cases, the Council would hold to the advice of the supervising SPECTRE, we are afraid that our own assessment must run contrary to his in this case." The Asari said in a voice that cut through Udina's spluttering. Shepard looked up at the alien with a look of pure contempt. "We've received another report, one that may have been more complete than that of SPECTRE Nihlus. It is unfortunate, but the Council must deny the application of Candidate Shepard." And with that, the Council turned as one to leave.

"Wait!" Shepard managed to blurt through her anger. A strong arm fell on her arm, most likely Anderson, but Shepard didn't care. "Who gave this report? How could it outweigh Nihlus'?"

"That would be my report." A new voice sounded throughout the chamber. It was thin, like the crack of a whip, with a biting sarcasm that set Shepard's teeth on edge. A hologram flickered into existence above the empty gulf between the Council and the Humans. It was a statuesque Turian, grey and covered in cybernetics. His sharpened crest swept back severely to a point just behind his head, giving him a hawkish face. His eyes glowed with a blue light, even through the holographic projection.

"You!" The exclamation came, not from Shepard's own lips but from her commanding officer. Anderson stared bayonets at the holographic Turian. "Why, Saren, How?"

"Anderson, I should have known that you'd wrap yourself up in this latest embarrassment. Suffice it to say, Nihlus was not the only SPECTRE observing the action down on Eden Prime. I took personal interest when I realized the import of the mission that had been assigned to a… _human_."

"And so you took it upon yourself to make your own assessment?" Anderson spat back. "So, Saren, what is it you saw that Nihlus did not? Or have you decided to fabricate more claims against us?"

"As if I would have to stoop to fabrications," Saren said threateningly. "The matter is simple. The Commander showed poor utilization of assets, achieved unacceptable casualty ratios, and failed to complete the mission. Oh yes, by chance she secured a completely unrelated piece of technology, but the SPECTREs are chosen based on their ability to achieve their _goals_, not bring back flashy baubles." Saren ticked off the points on his fingers as if he were lecturing a child. "If you are done wasting my valuable time, I have important duties to attend to. Honoured Councilors." He bowed his head slightly before disappearing.

"Strange how he never gave a damn about Human casualties before today." Anderson almost shook with anger. "That bas…"

"That will be quite enough, Captain," Udina said. "We have a situation to salvage here." He moved to address the Council. "We must abide by your decision, but there is still the matter of our attackers, Councilors."

"Ah yes, this 'Super Dreadnaught,'" The Turian Councilor raised two talons to deliver air quotes around the words. "Your report mentioned the Geth utilized some yet unseen ship design. We are assigning a commission to look into the matter. Your government will be informed if we turn up anything pertinent to your people. Now, this hearing is officially adjourned."

* * *

Author's Notes:

A bit of a talky chapter I'm afraid. But now we're heading into the main plot, which I hope you'll stick around to enjoy. There will, of course, be some changes, not least of all being Shepard's status. Don't worry though, you can be sure that the old gang will still be gathered, though perhaps not in the same order or for the same reasons.

-Liddle Out


	6. Chapter 6: On the Wards

Vanguard of Vengeance: Chapter 6

The pronouncement of the Council may have stunned a lesser officer, but despair did not easily take hold of Evangeline Shepard. Instead her mind spun off along several tracks, each escaping her total grasp as she tried to follow each one.

"Commander, we've been dismissed," Anderson said gently. He laid a hand on her crisp dress uniform, a firm yet friendly grip that pulled her back to the real world.

"Sorry, I was…" Shepard shook her head. "Never mind, are we headed back to the Embassy?"

"I think that would be best," Ambassador Udina said. "The Alliance will want to talk about this recent… development." The grey-haired man led the way back through the Presidium until they stood once again before the squat Embassy building. He brushed aside a distraught looking man and walked briskly past the idle delegates of the Volus and Elcor. It wasn't until he passed through the doorway into his office that he dropped the pretense of civility.

"Damn that insufferable council. I half expected them to bar our entry into the SPECTREs, but to take this investigation right out of our hands?" the ambassador banged his fist on his desk in an uncharacteristic loss of control. "I suppose we shouldn't hope for better, it took the Turians calling their entire fleet down on our heads to rouse them to our defense last time, I'm certain that even if this super-dreadnaught popped up right outside the Citadel they'd still pause for a deliberation before declaring it a valid threat." He breathed out deeply.

"At least we managed to sidestep the issue of Javik," Shepard said. Her eyes flicked up to where the new alien still sat cross-legged, apparently deep in meditation.

"We'll count our small victories later, there's work to be done," Anderson said softly as he took a seat across from the ambassador. At that moment, the meeting was interrupted by a harried looking secretary.

"Excuse me, Ambassador, you have a visitor," the man blurted.

"I'm very busy, Andrew, they'll have to wait," Udina replied. He made a dismissive motion and turned back to Anderson.

"Um…" the secretary glanced back over his shoulder. "I'm afraid he can't wait, sir. It's a SPECTRE, say's his name is Nihlus." The room grew still. Udina gritted his teeth, but put on a diplomatic face.

"Send him in; let's see what he has to say." The door opened swiftly, revealing the Turian. Nihlus stepped through the doorway with a polite nod. His mandibles fluttered slightly as he met the hardened stares of the room's occupants.

"I've just had my official debriefing," he said without fanfare. After a second's pause, he continued. "I've been reassigned to the far rim of Citadel space."

"And you want, what, sympathy?" Shepard asked, "That's pretty rich from the guy who stood aside and let my application get shot down." Nihlus' mandibles fluttered again in discomfort.

"Look, Shepard, I was on _your_ side!" he said angrily. He shook himself and regained some composure. "I've followed the Council's orders for almost a decade, and I've never had reason to question them, but everything about this situation feels wrong."

"What… do you mean, wrong?" Udina asked, leaning forward. From where Shepard stood she could almost see the wheels turning behind the ambassadors sharp eyes. Already his bureaucratic mind sought leverage, a loophole, a crack he could wedge open.

"The Council's dismissal of this attack, Saren's actions…"

"I think Saren's actions are just about on par. He has it in for the Human bid for SPECTRE status." Anderson noted.

"His anti-human sentiments are well known, trust me, I've been trying to get him to be more open-minded for a long time, but that is not what I was talking about. His presence at Eden Prime was unusual. He's sat in on other missions before, but he shouldn't even have known we were there. Shepard's assessment was not common knowledge."

"Wait, you know him?" Shepard stood straighter, alert.

"He was my mentor, and my friend. We have worked many cases. That's why I find his behavior so odd. He would have told me if he planned to observe. The only reason he'd be there is on separate business." Nihlus shook his head as if to clear it.

"Other business? What other business could he have had on Eden Prime, there was nothing…"

"Nothing but the Beacon." The flanged voice of the Prothean came from the back of the office. Javik stepped from a side office. "This Saren sought whatever my people left on that world."

* * *

The quiet flute music piped into the restaurant grated at Shepard's already raw nerves. The Earth International Diner boasted to be inspired by "genuine Earth culture." Shepard didn't know where on Earth the inspiration for the bright neons and artificial smokiness had come from, but she made a note never to find out.

"So, Nihlus, what is it that we're doing here again?" Shepard leaned back into the hard foam seats and scanned the diner again.

"We're meeting a contact of mine, a Turian. He's C-Sec, and he'll be the first to tell you that their offices are not a secure place to meet, especially to someone with the resources of Saren." Nihlus sipped at a drink while they waited.

"This guy another friend of yours?"

"Not as such, he sought me out when we arrived with some anomalous reports coming out of the SPECTREs office. I didn't think much of it until after the hearing. Ah, here he is." Nihlus sat up straighter and waved over another Turian, this one wearing the dull blue of Citadel Security. The agent, Garrus, walked over quickly and sat down at the table.

"SPECTRE Nihlus, and…"

"Shepard, Commander Shepard. Nihlus says you have something on Saren."

Garrus made a "volume down" motion with his hand and looked over his shoulder. "I may have something, Nothing I can trace back to Saren, but something. There's been a lot of chatter from the lower wards, people are getting double crossed and the Shadow Broker's become involved."

"The Shadow Broker?" Shepard leaned forward.

"He's _the_ big name in information brokerage. He has operatives everywhere, and the ones here on the Citadel are angry about something. Exactly what, I couldn't tell you, my commanding officer's put a stop to my investigation. He doesn't like to go anywhere near the Broker's operations."

"That… doesn't seem like much of a lead, especially if we can't link it back to Saren. A friend's hunch and some angry mercenaries won't make a satisfying case for the Council." Nihlus said.

"You'd be surprised," Garrus replied. "I've staged raids on less. You're in luck, though, I have something a little meatier. I was working a case the cycle before you arrived, a shooting involving a Quarian. The girl was obviously into to something way over her head, I ran into a couple of thugs trying to shake her down at the clinic she'd fled to. The thug's wouldn't say who they were walking for, but the gear they were packing would need a SPECTRE's authorization to get onto the station."

"You think that SPECTRE is Saren?" Shepard asked. "Do you know where this Quarian is now? If we could find out what she had that brought down Saren on her head, we could start building a case."

"Exactly." Garrus leaned back and started flipping through the menu.

"Well do you know where she is? Do you know her name, even?" Shepard asked.

"Tail, or something. And no, she ran off before I could follow up with her. I've worked with the doctor at the clinic before though. She might know something."

"Well what are we waiting for," Shepard shot up, "sounds like we have a lead."

* * *

Heavy boots clicked on metal flooring as three figures moved through on of the darker back alleys of the Wards. The dirty purple-grey walls seemed to blend with the shadows in places, the illusion only broken at times by the odd scrap of trash or old stain. Shepard lagged behind the two Turians as she tried to catch her breath. The wash of radiation on Eden Prime had been mostly healed since she had left the planet, but she still found her breath hitching in her chest at their fast pace. Her heart thumped behind a borrowed chest plate as her eyed flicked from place to place.

Garrus' C-Sec sensibilities had called for a light loadout, with both him and Nihlus carrying long barreled heavy pistols. Shepard's own weapon, a Devlon Stinger, felt familiar in her hands, like an old friend. Shepard knew that many among her crew would feel naked charging into a possible ambush with only the small handgun, but they didn't have Shepard's other abilities. Light flashed in her eyes as biotics lent speed to her stride and pulled weight from her feet.

"So Nihlus, you said you've been reassigned to the far rim, right?" she asked as they passed a particularly gaudy looking club.

"That is true, yes."

"But now you're investigating Saren, not that I'm complaining, of course." Shepard said between puffs.

"You have something more important I should be doing? Saren is my friend, and I need to know whether he had anything to do with the attack. I need to know if he's involved with your Prothean's 'Reapers.'" The SPECTRE's eyes remained fixed ahead.

"I understand that, but that's not what I meant. I mean, this isn't your mission, isn't the Council going to come down on you if you show up with someone else's case?" That merited a chuckle from Nihlus.

"You would have found out, had the Council accepted my assessment, that the life of the SPECTRE rarely follows the narrow path of his or her Council mandate. In fact, if I remember the statistics, on any given day, only one in ten SPECTREs are actively pursuing their official mission."

"The clinic's up here, we can discuss government waste later," Garrus said as he rounded a corner, pistol at a low ready position. The familiar red cross flickered in holo over the door to the ward clinic, casting a rosy light on the otherwise dim alley. Shepard noted for the first time the pitting in the metal walls, the pockmarks left by low-powered mass accelerators and the ragged holes made by something with a little more punch.

"Garrus…"

"I see it." Garrus brought his weapon up and tucked himself beside the closed doorway. Nihlus fell in behind him while Shepard took the opposite side. Garrus withdrew something from his belt and pantomimed a bright flash. Shepard understood and reached up to polarize her new helmet's half-length visor. The world darkened, the holo fading to a deep beryl.

"Doctor Michel, are you in there?" Garrus called. "Doctor, it's me, Garrus Vakarian." There was a muffled thump from within, loud enough to reach the small team past the doors. Garrus took a deep breath and shook his head. He depressed the activation button on the top of his flash bang and keyed the door. It rolled open stickily. There was the soft clink of metal on metal and a rolling sound before light and sound filled the alley.

The team rushed the room, hoping to catch whoever was in their unprepared. They walked into a flurry of snap shots as men with rifles opened fire from behind gurneys and tables. Shepard counted at least four before she was forced into cover.

"Must be packing aural/visual dampers. I could book them on half a dozen crimes for them!" Garrus shouted.

"How about we skip straight to attempted murder, that aughta stick," Shepard yelled back. She looked left and right from the column she had thrown herself behind and found that she had ducked behind the only cover within a survivable distance. She swore softly and brought up her biotics. She sent her biotic tendrils right, plucking a tray of medical instruments from a table and whipping them at the shooters. Following up on the distraction, she rose to a knee and fired three aimed shots around the column. Her rounds skittered off of reinforced barriers, but the tossed tray managed to slip just below the kinetic barrier's activation thresholds. The metal caught the bareheaded man in the jaw. The man roared a challenge and turned his weapon on Shepard. The Commander dodged back as heavy rounds ripped through air and column. Only the sparking of shields saved her from the torrent.

"These guy's barriers are too strong! Our weapons are useless!" Shepard fired another burst, to similar results.

"Not all of our weapons," Nihlus stepped out and with a flash of orange light and a grasping motion; he sent a grenade flying towards the enemy. It flashed amongst the enemy and unleashed a flood of electromagnetic radiation. Kinetic barriers crumbled as their generators were overloaded. Now naked, they were vulnerable to attack. Shepard didn't wait to push the advantage. She lunged outwards and brought up her biotics again, this time shooting a lance of force into the nearest thug. The lance barreled him over and smashed him against the wall.

The shooter's defenses were overrun in a similarly short and brutal gunfight. Even the team's weaker pistols wreaked havoc in the absence of kinetic barriers. Four flashes lit the room. Shepard rose to standing and moved slowly, carefully towards the enemy position. When nothing moved, she lowered her weapon. "Clear."

Behind her, the Turians moved up.

"How many?"

"Looks like five, no markings, no uniform." Garrus stepped over one of the dying thugs. "But where's the Doctor?" There was a gurgling sound from across the room. Shepard looked over. One of the thugs leant against a wall, clutching at his stomach. Shepard stalked over. She kicked aside the rifle he still held weakly in his other hand and squatted to meet his eye level.

"Gut shot, looks painful," she said calmly. She hoped the thug didn't hear the strain in her breathing.

"Screw you, lady," the man spat out. A little blood dribbled from behind his split lips. He shivered as another wave of pain coursed through him.

"I just thought I'd point it out. I have medigel here. It's yours if you tell me what you've done with the one who runs this clinic. And don't tell me lies, or I'll call in an asari to rip it out of your head." She smiled cruelly. The man's eyes flicked to the open door then back to Shepard. He swallowed audibly.

"You wouldn't! They can't do that, can they?" the man spluttered. His eyes moved frantically back to the door.

"You want to find out?" Shepard replied. "Because I've been having a really bad day. Don't make me call her in. Tell me what I need to know."

"Okay, I'll tell you." The man seemed to deflate before her eyes. "After the Turian you're with took out the first team, our boss told us to lay an ambush, just in case he came back. We figured he would, our boss saw him talking to that guy." He pointed to Nihlus.

"And Doctor Michel?" Garrus asked coldly.

"We took her back to home base, a warehouse further down the Wards. The boss said she had information, something about a Quarian." His voice was growing steadily weaker until he almost wheezed out the last few words.

"Who is 'the boss?' Who set this ambush up?" Shepard grabbed a hold of the man and gave him a low dose of the anesthetic medigel, just enough to keep him talking.

"Don't… know. Never saw…"

"Shepard, this guy's fading fast," Garrus interrupted. "I don't think he knows anything more useful. We can confirm his intel by ripping his Omni-tool."

"Alright," Shepard gave the man a full dose. His features slackened as the powerful drugs did their jobs. She stood and hefted the rifle the thug had been carrying. It had been clumsily painted, red and black, but wear near the ejector ports revealed blue-grey metal beneath. It was heavy, short, and snub-nosed, almost a carbine really. "I think I'll keep this one." It clicked softly against the magnetic catches on her back. "You want to cuff these guys?"

"We'll bag the breathing ones, unless you want your imaginary Asari to do it," Garrus said with a chuckle.

The wounded thug burbled. "She's…. she's not… she's not even real?" He spat again. "I'll, I'll kill you!" he lunged, and there was the sound of metal drawn against leather. The thug was fast, especially with his wounds. But Shepard was leagues faster. She had drawn before the knife had left its sheath. Her blue plated boot crunched down on fingers half clasped around the handle, and her Devlon Stinger followed soon after. Another flash lit the clinic for the last time.

* * *

Author's Note:

So this chapter and the next should wrap up the Citadel portion of this story and carry us into the main plot. Much of the first game plot is going to run similar to its canon counterpart to give time for the butterflies to do their work, although I'm going to try to slip in a few key differences. It's going to usually be a case of "same events, new venues" in an attempt to keep things semi-fresh. As always, I hope you stick around, and hope you write lots of reviews.

-Liddle Out


	7. Chapter 7: Two Councils

Vanguard of Vengeance: Chapter 7

The warehouse was non-descript, a plain and ugly building among other, even more non-descript, plain, and ugly buildings. This far out on the wards, even the keepers rarely ventured out from their labyrinthine tunnels, which left the entire area in ill repair and dirty. It looked almost too perfect as the base of a band of petty thugs.

"Eyes on the target," Garrus reported from a position high in the industrial complex across the avenue that ran from ring to tip along the ward. The Turian had slipped easily into the role of sniper once the mission had started rolling. Now he stood perched with a high powered rifle, eye scanning the broken down warehouse for threats. "Outside's clear. I can't see anything through those windows up top, but it looks like the standard open space and mezzanine setups, so watch your heads."

"Thank you Garrus," Commander Shepard said over the radio. "You tell us if you see anyone." She snuck forward, crouched low over her pistol. Although given the chance to rearm as Nihlus and Garrus had, Evangeline had foregone the luxury. All she needed was her biotics to see her through.

"I'll let my rifle do the telling if you don't mind, Commander," he said with a chuckle. Even through the link the team could hear the whirr-click of the rifle's cocking mechanism. Behind her helmet, Shepard set her face in a grim mask. Now was the time for the butcher's work.

She went on, approaching the street side doors in a low stance. Nihlus followed close after with a readied shotgun. The SPECTRE reached the door first, having put on an extra burst of speed. Falling in behind him, Shepard signaled ready with a slap on the shoulder. Nihlus affixed a code-breaker on the door and flicked it on. The device whirred softly as it ran until it beeped to signal ready.

"We go in?" Shepard asked.

"We go in, nice and quiet. I'll scout ahead; you follow after and be ready to back me up." He opened the door slowly and entered the warehouse. The space within opened up all the way to the high roof, the only light in the room cast by the large outer windows. The light fell on stacks of cargo containers built up into high walls. Nihlus slipped between short stacks of barrels into the darkness. Shepard followed him into the warehouse at a distance, her eyes peeled for movement. She saw nothing but dusty boxes and unwashed crates.

"Commander." She stopped and dropped, pistol extended.

"Go," she said.

Nihlus spoke quietly. "I've got footprints in the dust, looks fresh. As in within the hour. Whoever took the doctor is most likely still in the building. Move up to my position, I think I've found a way into this little box fort of theirs."

Shepard clicked her headset in acknowledgement. She rose again and moved more quickly through the open floor. Nihlus' red and black armour loomed out of the gloom, followed shortly by his small black eyes that glittered in the low light. He motioned for her to stop before pointing out a small gap in the storage container barrier. Shepard nodded and moved towards it. As they approached, they could here low voices.

"…don't think she's gonna tell us," a voice came from the gap.

"Oh, she'll tell us," A female voice replied, "she'll tell us, or she'll find herself short a few toes. Dose her again, Hagan." There was a hissing sound of a hypodermic plunger and a muffled cry. "Now, Shelly, why don't you tell us where that Quarian's got to?"

"Please, I don't know. I don't know anything, she just came to my clinic!" That voice was higher, tinged with a soft accent and the slur of whatever drugs had just been pumped into her.

"Do we move?" Shepard asked. She hated sitting here while the other woman was tortured within earshot. But she wasn't calling the shots on this mission. She hated that too, but she couldn't quite bring herself to hate the dark scaled Turian beside her.

"I think that would…" he was cut off by a blood curdling scream. "Move!" They burst through the gap to find themselves out in the open staring down five thugs.

"What the…" the man holding a large knife spluttered. Shepard didn't let him finish. Three rounds went through his chest before he could activate his barriers. They split the ceramic armour above his heart and left it a ruin. He fell before finishing his sentence. The rest of the thugs recovered quickly. The female interrogator brought up a biotic barrier just in time to deflect Nihlus' spread of shotgun pellets.

"Take em' down, and mind the prisoner, she'll be broken yet." The interrogator yelled. She pulled a shotgun of her own from her back and opened fire. She drove Shepard and Nihlus apart, each rolling to avoid her fire. The other thugs were recovering now. They drew an assortment of pistols, rifles, and even the odd knife.

Shepard finished her roll and locked onto the closest enemy. Her biotics flared and the man found himself tugged into the air by an aura of negative gravity. He struggled against the pull, but he could not stop himself being pulled above the lip of the container walls. There was a sound of broken glass and the man's head burst.

"Got 'em," Garrus reported coolly. Shepard didn't let herself get distracted and drove back into the fight. Now almost even in numbers, the three remaining thugs began backing off.

"Take out that Turian," the female yelled. Immediately her two allies switched targets. The sudden shift beat at Nihlus' shields, one round even punching through to graze his leg. He fell to a knee with a bark of pain, but he did not relent. He reached behind his back and spiked something into the ground just ahead of him. He was obscured in a sudden cloud of smoke and a bust of static. Shots stabbed out from the cloud and speared another thug. He went down in a crumpled heap.

"Damn it, you deal with the doctor, I'll fish out the Turian." The biotic lunged into the cloud after Nihlus which left Shepard facing her friend. The man ignored her and made a move toward Michel. Shepard grunted and pushed herself forward toward them. She wasn't about to let their only lead get carted off when they were so close to victory.

She crashed into the man from behind four feet short of the gurney that they had the doctor tied down to. They both clattered to the floor as Shepard slipped an arm around the man's neck from behind. The man struggled against her choke hold and reached for his dropped pistol. Shepard kicked it away and tried to drag him into a kneeling position. The man struck again, this time with a knife. The wicked blade struck just below her half-visor and scratched a bloody line across her cheek. More from shock than from hurt, Shepard's hold broke and the man got free.

They both rose into a fighting stance. The man smiled cruelly while Shepard bit back the pain of the shallow cut. The man came on with another thrust, followed quickly by a wild slash. Shepard deflected both with the plates on her forearms and delivered an upward punch to the man's stomach. Her gauntlets crunched against his gut plate. Shepard threw another punch, this one biotically augmented. It hit him hard across the face and knocked him backwards. He tried to strike back, but the punch had made him slow. Shepard caught the downwards stabbing knife in an upwards crossed-arms block and redirected it. It found a gap between plates and struck its owner low in the stomach. Shepard continued her motion, moving behind the man and kicking him over. He fell on his blade, driving it deeper. He gasped weakly and then lay still.

"Hagan, forget the girl and come and back me up!" the interrogator's voice drifted from the smoke. "Hagan!" she moved out of cover and her eyes fell on her fallen partner. Her eyes narrowed and she leveled her shotgun on Shepard. "You!" Shepard tried to move, but the strain of the day suddenly caught up on her. She could only watch as the barrel was pointed at her face. Somewhere, a shot rang out. It lanced through the thug's barriers and caught her in the shoulder. She grunted and dropped her shotgun.

"I'll kill you she screamed, but another shot flew at her. She was able to dodge, though only by inches. "Fine, take her! But you'll have to fetch a bucket before she'll be of any use to you!" The interrogator tugged a belt of grenades from about her waist and flung it in the direction of the prone doctor. Shepard's eyes followed it helplessly as the thug made good her escape. Nihlus fired off a round after her, but it went wide, spraying the containers to her right. Shepard turned her eyes to the grenades. They flashed off the seconds until detonation as if in slow motion. Shepard could only watch, paralyzed. For a flash, she could see the ghostly flicker of Kaidan hunched over them. The ghost disappeared, replaced by a rapidly descending Turian in blue plate. Garrus landed into a roll beside the grenade belt and heaved it aside with all his might. It landed heavily not more than thirteen feet away. Seeing that, Garrus threw himself atop the gurney to shelter the body of the young doctor. The grenades exploded with a crack and pelted the room with shrapnel. It bounced off of shield, barrier, and armour and scraped at the scales on Garrus' neck.

Freed from her locking paralysis, Shepard rushed forward, arriving at the same time as Nihlus. Garrus rolled from the table and slapped at the grazes in his skin.

"You saved my life," Dr. Michel said breathily before passing out.

* * *

The clinic was darkened when the team arrived, and mercifully empty. Nihlus led the party, ready for another ambush. The room still lay in disarray from the earlier firefight, though it looked as if a keeper had been at the room. The damage to the walls had been smoothed over, leaving only the guttering and broken tables and chairs in testament to the fight that had occurred there.

"Get her on the table," Shepard called as she helped Garrus carry the wounded doctor into her own clinic. They laid her carefully onto the sole fit table.

"Commander; you prepare a field dressing. Garrus; watch the door." Nihlus gave orders before posting himself at the half–shuttered windows. Shepard set about checking the doctor's many wounds, careful to mind her damaged toe. Shepard spread a thin layer of medigel on the small cuts and placed a small clamp on the stump of her big toe.

"They're not doctor's work, but they'll hold," Shepard said, wiping stray blood from her fingers. She prepared a syringe of adrenaline before looking to Nihlus. The Turian nodded and Shepard plunged the needle home. Michel awoke with a sharp gasp and a whimper. She looked around wide eyed, only relaxing once her eyes fell on Garrus.

"Garrus, I remember you, you saved me."

"Yes, that was me," Garrus said. "Now I know you've been through a lot, but my friends here have a few questions for you."

Doctor Michel nodded weakly.

"Alright, last time I was here, you treated a Quarian. Do you know where she went?" Garrus spoke slowly and warmly, in stark contrast to his usual clipped glibness. "She has some information that could prove vital."

"I, yes, I remember. Tali'Zorah, that was what she called herself. She was hurt very badly, I had to send her to a friend of mine on the Presidium. I thought, I thought she would be safe there, I send all my Quarians there."

"Where is this place?" Shepard asked.

"I will show you," Michel said softly, straining to raise herself from the table. Garrus gently laid a claw on her shoulder and guided her back down.

"Here, show us on this map of the Citadel," he said. He lowered the projected map to her face. Michel reached up with her unwrapped hand and tapped one of the storefronts.

"Tell him, tell him I sent you," She said before drifting off to sleep. Garrus let her rest and brought the map back up for the rest of the group to see. He cocked his head and squinted.

"The Emporium? Sounds pretty upscale for a place to send Quarians. They're not even welcome on the Presidium Ring."

"Perhaps that is the point," Nihlus noted. "The Presidium is not as heavily populated as the wards, and who would expect to find a Quarian there?" he flickered the shutters. "The outside of the clinic looks clear, we weren't followed. If we head out now, we may catch this Tali'Zorah before she either succumbs or flees."

"I'll call in the med-techs, get her out of here," Garrus said.

"Good call," said Shepard. She moved towards the door and stepped out. "No time like the present boys, let's go find us a Quarian."

The team moved out in a loose formation. They stowed and secured their guns, though with both Shepard and Garrus in C-Sec blues they were mostly ignored. They made for the nearest elevator and soon found themselves packed in behind a wall of low ranking politicians and diplomats of six species. Shepard felt out of place and a little ill at ease rubbing elbows with the bureaucrats.

Thankfully, the ride came to an end after a five minute descent. Stepping out, Shepard felt she better understood why diplomats seemed perpetually dour. Garrus nodded in direction of the Emporium storefront and the group set off again. Shepard once again found herself captivated with the engineered beauty around her. In her youth she had only dreamed of ever seeing something so glamorous, though the soldier in her saw the whole arrangement as overly gaudy. Still, somewhere the little street girl stirred in her.

"Commander?" Nihlus' voice shook her from her reverie.

"Huh?"

"The Emporium, Commander." Shepard followed his gaze. Her eyes fell on a wide open store painted in a pure white. Small tables lay dotted around laden with display items. The store appeared to deal in almost everything. Shepard spotted a stall selling Earth luxuries right next to a Volus run vendor of deep space exploration gear. Most interesting to her though was also the nearest. Floating gently near a scrolling screen like a Portuguese Man o' War was a Hanar shopkeeper. The Hanar, luminescing and pink, looked her way. Or she assumed it looked, the floating jellyfish had no eyes to speak of. It wriggled and lights played over its gel-like skin.

"This one is pleased to see customers. Will the customers allow this one to show them it's wares?" the voice of the Hanar seemed ghostly, coming not quite from its direction. Instead it seemed to echo from somewhere just behind Shepard.

"The customers would be delighted," Nihlus said, trying to match the Hanar's odd speech pattern. "Would the shopkeeper be so kind as to tell us its name?"

The Hanar shivered again. "This one is known as Delan. Would the customers be interested in purchasing one of its fine weapon modifications?"

"We have some other business, we've been sent here by Doctor Michel," Shepard stepped up and spoke. The Hanar turned to face her. It rippled again, this time faster and more erratically.

"Yes? This one is curious. It has not heard from the one called Michel for some time. Will you tell this one what has happened to the doctor?" The ghostly voice conveyed very little emotion, but Shepard felt the almost worried tone.

"The Doctor's fine, she was attacked earlier, but me and these two went and rescued her. She sent us here on a very important mission, now let us see the wounded Quarian." Her tone was undiplomatic but honest. The Hanar seemed to sense it, because it didn't raise any resistance.

"Follow this one; it has many fine products to show you." The Hanar floated lazily towards the rear of the store. The members of the party exchanged looks and followed. The Hanar led them down a twisting back passage until it reached a heavy metal door obviously installed relatively recently. The Hanar bobbed in deference and floated out of the way.

Nihlus pulled open the door and stepped into the room beyond. Shepard moved in after him and found herself in a low-ceilinged room. Around the edge of the room sat or lay a half dozen Quarians in their hooded masks.

"Tali'Zorah?" Shepard asked, looking from face to hidden face. "We're looking for Tal'Zorah…" she stopped to look at the medical file she'd been given, "… nar Rayya."

"That's me," said a voice. "I am Tali'Zorah." A Quarian hobbled forward from the back of the room. She was clad in a purple veiled environment suit. Shepard looked the suit over; it looked a wreck. Though probably quite fine when it was new, the rubbery undersuit looked worn and scratched and it had been patched in at least ten places. Some of the patches looked fresh enough to have been applied the day before. The undersuit was covered in gracefully curved plating, similar to Shepard's own. The whole assembly looked about half-way between a spacesuit and a suit of armour. "What do you want?"

* * *

It was an odd company that assembled itself around the desk of the Systems Alliance Ambassador's desk the next day. The Ambassador himself sat next to a severe Navy captain on his right, and a tired looking commander on his left. Across from them, two Turians, a SPECTRE agent and an operative of Citadel Security. Beside them, a Quarian of the Migrant Fleet and the last _Pradhan_ of the extinct Prothean Empire. All sat silently as a battered recording device sputtered out its final broadcast.

…_and one step closer to the return of the Reapers._

"Well, I suppose that's it then," Anderson said wearily. "Proof that Saren was involved in Eden Prime." Nihlus' fist hit the desk with some force. No one else spoke for some time.

"Then it is the Reapers, and this Saren is their puppet," Javik said. "Even your Council must admit that this is the case. Can we expect that the traitor will be summarily executed before he does further damage?"

"Damn it, Saren may not be a willing partner in this. If he can still be reached…" Nihlus interjected.

"He cannot," Javik said.

"Be that as it may, the Council wouldn't admit to their own names without a year of deliberation, and even then they're liable to rule it as 'inconclusive.'" Udina said bitterly. "Woe be to the sod who has to present that to the Council." Everyone at the table looked at everyone else.

"I suppose I could present it to the Council," Tali said cautiously. Garrus made a sound close to a snort.

"I think perhaps the burden should fall for me, Tali'Zorah. No need for a girl as young as you to risk angering the Council. Besides, they may not so quick to trust this information coming from a Quarian."

"From a Quarian? Are you seriously going to play that card? And anyway, I was on my Pilgrimage, I'm essentially an adult."

"I'm not sure we should take this to the Council," Nihlus said. Udina and Anderson looked up distressed, but the Turian continued. "We have to make sure it's genuine. Saren has long been my friend, if there's any chance he's innocent of this charge, I refuse to level the accusation. It would ruin him."

"Are you serious?" stuttered Garrus. "I've been watching Saren for weeks, he's gone crooked. We have to show the Council, and I should be the one to take it." The table fell to arguing, Nihlus against Garrus, with Tali taking shots at both sides. Udina shook his head in disbelief.

"I will take it," Shepard said quietly. "I will take this evidence before the Council!" She stood up and snatched the circular OSD up from the circle.

"But…"

"No buts. If this was a Turian colony, you two would be stumbling over each other to throw this to the politicians. Now, I will take this to the Council, and I will expose Saren. Whether you want me to or not, the threat of the Reapers is too much to leave to petty disagreements. So are you with me, or are you going to let me walk to the firing squad alone?"

"You are well spoken, for a soldier," Nihlus said. He sighed. "I suppose I must go with you, the authority of a SPECTRE will be needed to bend the ears of Council."

"As long as I get to strike back at the people who put me in Doctor Michel's clinic," Tali murmured. "I will confirm the validity of the Geth print."

"I'll follow you," said Garrus. "If the Quarian is brave enough to march into the guns, I will not be left behind." The table shifted to look at Javik. The Prothean had been nigh silent, now he lifted his eyes to look back into the gathered party's faces.

"I will address this Council of yours. Should they not recognize the true threat, I will go ranging out into the galaxy to put a stop to Saren myself." He stood and made to leave, but Udina made a sound in his throat.

"Your pledges are admirable, but it will take some time to get a meeting with the Council so soon after the debacle that was Shepard's hearing. You will have to wait here until I can make the arrangements. As you know, one does not simply walk into the Presidium Tower."

* * *

The seven from the Ambassador's table stood before the three Councilors. Fewer spectators had come to watch this round, the novelty of Shepard's claims apparently worn off. Even the Council seemed to have little interest in the proceedings. Shepard cleared her throat.

"Honoured Councilors," the words Udina had made her practice almost choked her. "We have further evidence to present. Evidence that will shed light on the attack on Eden Prime." The proclamation sent ripples through the sparsely populated galleries.

"Commander Shepard, I thought that this council had made it clear that this was a Council matter. Evidence regarding Eden Prime will only be heard from a Council sanctioned agent."

"Then hear it from me," Nihlus stepped forward, a striking figure in a black and silver trimmed uniform, Turian military, Shepard assumed. "We… recovered a recording taken from a Geth platform. It reveals the masterminds behind the attack on Eden Prime." He motioned to Shepard. The Commander stepped forward and drew the OSD from a front pocket of her tunic. She loaded into the testimony stand and hit play. Sound echoed in the chamber, the voice of Saren.

_Eden Prime was a major victory; the beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit._

_And one step closer to the return of the Reapers._

Silence reigned and the Council was taken aback. The Salarian Councilor was the first to respond. "This cannot be real, Geth units self-destruct when captured, they always have."

"Not this one," Tali stepped forward. "It was taken unprepared and disabled before it could wipe its audio banks. I preformed the hack myself." Her voice held the hint of pride.

"You vouch for the veracity of this… evidence?" The Asari Councilor asked.

"I do."

"Very well, we are forced to accept it as evidence. The Council will deliberate on this." The Councilor bowed her head. Before she could leave, Shepard spoke up.

"There is no time for deliberation. You have just been given proof of one of your agent's involvement in an attack on sovereign Earth soil. There's no way you can simply ignore this new evidence."

"Ignore, no, but we must take time to talk this over. This is serious accusation…"

"Enough of this!" Javik's voice rolled across the open space. "Now is not the time for games of smoke and whispers! You do not understand the threat that now hangs above your head like a wrathful god. The Reapers, who ground my people into the dust over a sum of centuries is now ready to return to harvest you, and from what I have seen of you, you are even less prepared than we were. The Prothean Empire stood tall over near two thirds of this galaxy and still they were crushed in the field and hunted among the stars. The Reapers unleashed horrors that would drive you from your beds for the rest of your short lives.

Now this woman brings evidence of a villain that even now works against you, and you do what? You dither, and you bicker. By all at I have lost, by my men and my ships, I demand that you make your decision now. Do you stand against your own destruction, or do you submit to it!" his last sentence was bellowed in white hot anger. The Councilors stood slack-jawed, never before so defied. But they stood to their podiums and cast their votes. After a terse silence, the result was displayed. Unanimously, the Council voted to revoke Saren's authority as SPECTRE and to brand him a traitor. To Nihlus fell the duty of bringing him in. Of Javik, not one of them raised the point of Javik's status, allowing him to sweep from the chamber unchallenged. Shepard could only breathe out in relief. At last something would be done.

* * *

Author's Note:

And so the true adventure begins. Forgive the absence of Wrex, he'll show up before the story ends, you can be sure of that. Next chapter will cover the first steps on the road to defeating Sovereign, so stay tuned for dealings with pirates, mercenaries, and perhaps even everyone's favourite Asari archaeologist.

NonSolus: You are not mistaken, Udina might show his value in the future. I've always seen him as more of an opportunist than actively malevolent (ME3 excluded), and Shepard makes for very few usable opportunities. We'll have to see about Conrad, I don't have any plans for him now, but he may play a part in the future.

-Liddle Out


	8. Chapter 8: The Normandy Departs

Vanguard of Vengeance: Chapter 8

The CIC of the Alliance frigate, SSV Normandy buzzed with the activity of a ship only minutes away from getting underway. But this buzz was different. Evangeline Shepard could feel it from where she stood just behind the command podium; the bridge crew was tenser than usual, tenser even than when they had begun their run on Eden Prime. Not that she could blame them; she herself was tense, and not just because of the weight of the discoveries made on the Citadel. Many changes had come to the Normandy and not all of them were welcome. Shepard looked out across the bridge. The new arrivals stood scattered, isolated.

Each brought their own unique skills to the mission. Each one had their own reasons for joining up. The Turian, Garrus, had been first to lend his aid and his rifle. The C-Sec sniper had almost jumped at the chance to sign on with the mission to take down Saren. Opposite him was the slightly more reluctant addition to the team, Tali'Zorah. The Quarian had been about ready to melt back into the small enclave her people had built on the Wards until she had heard that Garrus was leaving. The two seemed to have built quite the rivalry in the short time they had worked together. Anderson had said it was natural, given their race's history. _Anderson_.

Shepard looked up at the final and least welcome addition to the team. Nihlus stood tall on the podium, rigid with head held high. His position there had been a final concession to the Citadel powers on behalf of the Systems Alliance. They wanted a SPECTRE to hunt a SPECTRE, and since Shepard had been found wanting…

* * *

_They were back in Udina's office. It was just her and Anderson now. They sat across from the tired looking ambassador as he hemmed and hawed over some diplomatic dispatch._

"_We're in a tight spot, that's for sure," he had said. "The Council won't like the Alliance hunting down one of their own."_

"_Nihlus said that it would take a SPECTRE to open up a case on a rogue like Saren," Shepard had said. There had been silence in the room, no one speaking. _

"_I suppose they'll give it to him," Anderson had said, referring to Nihlus. "It's a shame we won't be coming along for the ride, I'd have liked to give that son of a bitch a good lesson in why you don't pick fights with the Alliance." Udina's ears had seemed to pick up, his eyes suddenly brightening. He tapped something out furiously on a datapad in front of him._

"_You may just have something there, Captain," he had said, seemingly freezing half-way through a thought. He tapped more furious keystrokes against his desk._

"_Ambassador?" _

"_The solution, Captain. I can't believe I didn't think of it before. If this… Nihlus is to be assigned to Saren's case, he will need a ship."_

"_You're suggesting we offer him a ride?"_

"_No, commander, I'm suggesting we give him a command."_

* * *

"Commander Shepard, do you have anything to say to the crew?" Nihlus' low, flanged voice shook her from her reverie. Her eyes snapped up and her body tensed.

"Nothing comes to mind," Shepard said. She tried to keep the feeling of injustice from poisoning her tone, but she still heard a little bitterness seep in around the edges. If he heard it, Nihlus didn't acknowledge it. He instead gave a taut nod and flicked on the ship's general address system.

"Crew of the _SSV Normandy_, this is Citadel SPECTRE Nihlus." Shepard was glad he hadn't tried to use the title 'captain.' "As you now know, this ship has been put under my authority for the duration of this operation with you Alliance's blessing. I don't presume to believe that that will make me any more welcome. But hear this; our mission is too important to allow old grudges to raise their heads. Because of this, while officially I may head this mission, I would like you to consider Commander Shepard as your nominal leader. She will remain ship's XO, and now serve as commander of the Alliance contingent."

The turian nodded as if satisfied and straightened the silver accented black tunic he still wore. He looked down at Shepard. Shepard gave him a grudging sign of approval. Not a bad speech, for a Turian.

"You do not approve of this change in the command scheme." Shepard swiveled to face Javik. The ill-tempered survivor of the Reaper's last cycle stood tall at the entrance to the bridge.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no, I'm not a fan of Udina's little game. Captain Anderson was a fine commander; he didn't deserve to be pushed aside like he was." Shepard kept her voice down as she moved away from Nihlus. Javik followed closely.

"In the old empire, we did not make such substitutions for the sake of political expediency."

"Heh, if only." Shepard looked back at the tall Turian as he stood high above the crew at their stations.

"If I might speak plainly, Commander Shepard, it would appear you have the support of the crew. If you were to move quickly, before the Turian is able to build a report with the security personnel…"

"You're speaking about a mutiny!" Shepard said in hushed tones. Inwardly, she groaned. She couldn't believe she was having this conversation, and with an alien to boot. "No, I won't do it."

"Perhaps if that is how you choose to interpret it. In the old empire the punishment for mutiny was to be thrown from the nearest airlock. However, should a foreign force deign to take a hold of one of our ships; it would be every loyal officer's duty to resist. Then the intruder would then be thrown from the nearest airlock." The Prothean smiled, showing a disconcerting number of small, peg-like teeth.

"I have my orders, Javik, and I intend to follow them. That's what you do when you have orders." She looked away and back up the narrow neck of the Normandy. It seemed emptier without Anderson. But he had handed her her orders personally. She wouldn't let him down, even if obeying him felt like a betrayal.

"Admirable. If you choose to change your interpretation, I will be in the sleeping quarter's arranged for me. You human's seem to have little regards for efficient use of space…"

Shepard ignored the alien's continued rant. She had more important things to dwell on. The Normandy was shipping out.

"Flight Lieutenant Moureau, kindly take us out," Nihlus ordered smartly. The pilot put his well-practiced hands to the controls and backed the ship slowly away from its berth. The nebula that surrounded the Citadel filled the screens once more, filling the interior of the small ship with pastels. Joker hit the thrusters and sent the Normandy screaming into space.

* * *

The SSV Normandy thrummed along, riding the bright tail of light characteristic of a ship in FTL. Commander Shepard found herself looking over half of an MRE at one of the mess' small fold-out tables. Standard Alliance fare was nothing to write home about, but it beat staring at an empty wall.

"Got a minute, Commander?" A woman's voice asked. Shepard looked up to see Ashley Williams standing at rest across from her.

"Take a seat, Chief." Shepard offered the other woman a friendly smile. The colonial Marine had kicked ass down on Eden Prime before Kaidan had bought it. Ashley returned the smile and scooted out a chair. She sat heavily and tossed down her own rumpled packet of rations.

"I'm afraid the menu's probably a bit more limited than what you were used to down at the garrison," Shepard said as she watched the younger NCO tug at the foil wrappings.

"Are you kidding? Locals on Eden couldn't boil an egg without help. Besides, I used to live on these things. I basically grew up on starships, Ma'am, this things always used to remind me of home."

"To each her own, I guess," Shepard replied, thinking back to the stale ration cubes that had formed much of _her_ childhood diet. Suddenly, Alliance rations seemed even less appealing. She resealed the package and leaned back in the folding chair. "So, you said you wanted to talk about something?"

The question hung in the air while Williams forced herself to swallow. "Yes, Ma'am. I….um, figured you might want to have someone to talk to. You know, after what happened on Eden." The younger woman took another bite of her MRE while Shepard mulled over what she had said.

"You jonesing for ship's councilor or something, Chief?" Shepard asked in a not unfriendly tone. Ashley shook her head.

"Look, Commander, I'm not one to get chummy with my officers, and I'm not bucking for a commendation or anything. It's just, you and that Lieutenant seemed close is all. I've been there, Commander."

"I appreciate the offer, Chief, but this isn't the first time I've lost friends," Shepard said. _Too many_, she thought inwardly.

"I didn't mean to imply, Ma'am. I've read your file front to back. You know what they say about old scars." She took another bite of what looked like bread. "I left a few white crosses of my own behind to take this posting. You never quite get used to it, you know." Shepard knew all too well.

"Thanks, Chief. I guess I could use a friendly face on the crew. I'm not sure our new friends will be open to hear an old warhorse's groans and moans."

"Not a fan of our new Captain, Commander?" Ashley asked with slightly raised eyebrow.

"SPECTRE," Shepard corrected insistently. William's eyebrow quirked a little higher. Shepard grumbled as she knew her reaction had betrayed her. "I guess I'm a little ticked about how Anderson got the shaft here. I know you didn't really know him, but he put his heart and soul into this ship every single day he was on duty."

"I got the impression," Ashley said. "It does feel a little off here since the switch. Turian commander, Quarians, Protheans. All we need to do is invite a Krogan along and we'll have completed the set."

"Ah, but you're forgetting the Asari," Shepard said. Absent mindedly, she reached for the neatly folded meal packet, her misgivings for the starchy food wafers momentarily forgotten.

"Pff," Ashley made a dismissive noise, "You want my, opinion, the Asari can keep their mitts of this mission. I mean, a Turian can at least fight."

"You not a fan of the Asari, Chief?"

"I won't be lining up to give one a hug, if that's what you mean." Ashley replied, 'I mean, the Turians at least had the decency to declare war on us to our faces back in the First Contact War, but it was the Asari that let them ride over us for a while before stepping…." Ashley's voice dropped off as her eyes fell on something over Shepard's shoulder. Shepard turned to follow her gaze and found Nihlus wandering slowly along the side bulkhead. He stopped every now and again to get a closer look at a panel or question a crewman.

"Ah, Commander, Chief Williams," the SPECTRE said as he passed their table.

"Admiring the ship, Nihlus?" Shepard asked. The Turian nodded.

"In fact I was. A sound design, if I don't say so myself." He raised a taloned hand and reached out to scrape softly against the white metal. "As sharp as a saber, yet swift, and stealthy like a dagger. Normally the Hierarchy wouldn't fund such a ship, but you Humans somehow convinced them."

"Have they convinced you?" Shepard asked.

"Hmm," Nihlus looked away from the panel. "Trust me, Commander, I needed no convincing. The ship itself did that job for you. Quite a thing of beauty, like the claw-craft of the Turians, but elegant…" He dropped his arms and struck a more formal pose.

"Aesthetics aside, it is exactly the kind of ship a SPECTRE needs, especially on a mission this important. Had I the funds I'd commission a fleet of them." And with that the Turian departed to look at other areas of the ship. The two women watched him leave. Once he was out of earshot, Ashley cracked a small smile and a hastily muffled snort.

"He'd better not try to pull that on the bridge. He and Lieutenant Moreau might get in a bit of a dust up if he saw anyone else looking at his ship that way."

* * *

The Normandy lit up like a candle as it dumped static build-up into the swirling gasses of the baleful gas giant that filled the monitors. Shepard tore her eyes away from the sight to focus on the gathering around her. Nihlus had called the first team-wide briefing. Senior crew and department heads Shepard had expected, but Garrus and Tali had also been summoned, as had the Prothean. It made for a packed briefing room, with most members of the crew left standing. Nihlus began the briefing with a request for a status report from all departments. Men and women stated their department's readiness and were dismissed one by one until only the new additions from Eden Prime and the Citadel were left. Nihlus took a seat at the fore of the room and invited the five of them to take seats around him.

"Now that that little bit of protocol is out of the way, I'm sure you are all wondering why you've been called down here." He addressed the assembled team. "We have found our first lead in this case. Salarian intelligence reports have found several Geth incursions into Citadel space." He brought up a flattened galaxy map on the room's central holoprojector. Red line indicated movements of the Geth's insectoid cruisers. "As you can see, it's mostly the usual feeler tendrils and sensor echoes, but here…" he drew a talon through the space next to a minute label. The area of space blew up to viewable size, revealing the label to read "Therum." "It's a volcanic world, valuable for very little except for being the site of some small Prothean ruins."

"And you think the halls of my dead will aid us in the mission to stop the Reapers?" Javik asked haughtily.

"Not so much the ruins, as who has taken up residence in them." Nihlus tapped a key in his chair armrest. A profile shot and a scrolling textbox replaced the slowly spinning map of Therum's home system. "Doctor Liara T'Soni, lead researcher on the Prothean digs on Therum, daughter of the Asari Matriarch, Benezia." Nihlus intoned. The blue skinned face hung in place against a background of black rock. Shepard studied the soft features and drawn back hair-tentacles the Asari were known for.

"An archaeologist?" Garrus asked. "Why would we need a Prothean expert on staff, we have an actual Prothean aboard."

"While Dr. T'Soni's background is an added bonus, it is not why we are after her, or at least, not directly." He tapped more keys and the image dissolved into a number of still pictures. They looked like high altitude surveillance photographs of the fiery planet. In stark contrast to the red and brown below, three long, thin, and purple craft hung hazily above the landscape, their contorted forms reminiscent of large metallic hornets.

"These images clearly show a surprising Geth presence. If the synthetics have truly thrown in with this Reaper, I think it should be obvious that anything that they are this interested in acquiring is something we simply cannot let them have."

"Do we know why they would want this… T'Soni?" Ashley asked.

"If I could hazard a guess, it has something to do with this Conduit that they are searching for. If it is truly a Prothean construct, it would make sense to try and acquire an expert." Nihlus replied. "As it is, the Geth already have a significant lead on us, I'm putting us on full alert as of now. I want the team to be prepared to strike as soon as we reach the Knossos System."

"SPECTRE Nihlus," Javik spoke up. The Prothean stood and paced around the restored galaxy map. "I am not familiar with your system names, but I know this planet." He raised a thin finger to highlight the fourth planet of the system.

"Armeni? It's a dead world, nothing but tombs. The Council's put a hold on any kind of archaeological digs there."

"Perhaps in your cycle it was dead, but in my cycle it belonged to the Zieoph. Our two species came into conflict early in the Empire's history. We buried them here, in the Battle of a Thousand Torches. I would visit this world."

"Javik, I respect that you are effectively a head of state, but this mission has a time element." Nihlus protested.

"Does it?" Javik asked. "The synthetics already hang over the fire world. If this doctor could be easily captured, she would have been by now. If not, she is likely somewhere they cannot reach her. I think a rotation of the planet will not set us back irreparably so." The room fell quiet as the grey-green ball of Armeni gave backlight to the stoic Prothean.

"I'll allow it, but we can only afford half of a rotation, twenty seven hours at most. I will remain on the ship in case the Geth take an objection to our presence. You may take a small squad down to the surface. Shepard will command."

* * *

The Normandy skimmed the thin atmosphere of Knossos Four, or Armeni as it had been named by human explorers. The ion thrusters threw ripples through the wispy xenon clouds that clung to the planet with tenuous fingers, the first ship to disturb the restless slumber of the tomb world in millennia.

"Mako drop party, you are cleared to drop," Joker said through the radio.

"Copy, Normandy, dropping." Shepard pushed forwards on the control column and set the Mako APC rumbling slowly forwards on its six, studded wheels. It crawled towards the wide opening of the cargo bay ramp. Shepard gunned the engine, tossing the vehicle out into open space. They fell in freefall as the Normandy swooped up and out of sight. The thin atmosphere offered little resistance as the small craft plummeted.

"Commander, you gonna hit the jets any time soon?" Garrus asked nervously as the altimeter on the dash dropped rapidly. He and Ashley shared the rear crew space somewhat uncomfortably. Ahead of them, Javik sat absolutely skill, his eyes closed. Shepard could swear she could hear him muttering something just out of hearing. A dozen or so unbraked meters went by before she activated the Mako's jump jets. The APC shuddered as it slowed until it bounced lightly on a buffeted bubble of air. The jets cut out, dropping them to the ground.

"Post drop checks, all systems look good," Shepard said, "Gravity coming up as point eight Earth normal, atmosphere; unbreathable, temperature; damn cold. Anywhere in particular you want to go?" She asked the Prothean, turning around in her seat.

"You will take us fifty kilometers planetary west, and then a further ten kilometers into the tomb city you will find there."

"We couldn't have landed over there, that's almost a two hour haul in this terrain," Ashley spoke up.

"This planet is not as dead as your Council might think. We will drive."

The drive was long and arduous. The silicate surface of the grim world was cracked and loose and gave the Mako very little purchase. The lightest of slopes slowed them to a crawl as the knobbly tires kicked up great drifts of the flaky sand that fell ethereally in the low gravity. The open plains they had landed on gave way in time to deep canyons, bare and smooth at first, but later scarred by deep impacts.

"So Javik, if this is the graveyard of some race you knocked over fifty thousand years ago, what are we doing down here now? What did these Zeeoffs have that we need now?" Garrus asked as they crested another dune. The Prothean regarded him as the Mako bounced lightly.

"It is not what they had, but what we had. The Zieoph made contact with the Protheans at the beginning of our mass effect age. We were small then, only a cluster of colony worlds on the edge of space. They were our first enemy, before even the Metacon Wars. They inhabited the worlds clustered around this system, preferring to inhabit the deep spaces.

They fought us bitterly amongst the stars, neither fleet able to gain ground on the other. Their raiders would show up in the skies of our colonies and in turn we would strike at their heartlands with fire and steel. After many conflicts, we drove them back to here and entombed them."

"You built all of these tombs for your enemies?" Garrus asked. The Mako had entered the deeper reaches of the canyon. On every wall, piled higher and higher atop harshly jutting terraces, were rows upon rows of tombs. They were carved from the sickly ash grey stone of the surrounding peaks and arranged in bizarre and yet strangely beautiful forms. The crew counted hundreds of the high domed structures. The terraces ran together in twisting shapes that almost seemed to writhe as the eyes past over them. Some of the larger ones showed signs of battle millennia past, ragged holes blown smooth by the wind of ages.

"We did not build these monuments to evil. The Zieoph were obsessed with death, fanatical to the point of madness and led by their abominable Nightlords. They slaughtered our people for their mad worship, not for our land, nor our resources, not even to take us for slaves. No, we buried them in their homes, it was only appropriate. You will turn here, we are near our destination."

Shepard pulled a tight turn and rocketed of down another ravine. The structures ran thicker here and more eldritch. The domes and twisting columns were joined by wilted spires. Here the ashen stone was covered in a spiny and luminous green crystal that clung like a carpet of moss to the empty mouths of the mausoleums. Here and there an ugly scar was torn into the canyon, bigger and wider than before. They cast shadows in the faint twinkling of the system's far away star and went deep into the crust of the planet. At the mouth of the widest scar, Javik placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder.

"This is where we must go." He pointed to the split open side of the nearest mausoleum-palace. "It shall descend to what remains of the Narsuvaan."

"Down there?" Shepard threw the Mako into neutral and hit the brakes. She whistled as she looked down the deep cleft in the rock. In ran deep with steep walls blackened by some cataclysm. "You heard the relic, team, helmets on." She pulled her own helmet from the bucket beside her seat and placed it roughly on her head. When the rest of the squad had done likewise, the hatch hissed open.

* * *

Author's Note:

Woo, two chapters, one week. I'm not going to call it now, but this might be a return to form. I hope you enjoyed this little segment. Let me know how you feel about Javik's history lessons, I'm hoping to pepper them around from time to time to give him an arc past "kill all reapers." Next Chapter we will see what lies under Armeni and walk on Therum, so stay tuned.

-Liddle Out


	9. Chapter 9: Canyons Deep and Caverns Old

Vanguard of Vengeance: Chapter 9

The rocky ground of the planet crunched underfoot as the team stepped out onto the dead world. Cold immediately set in, even through the thick insulation of their hardsuits. Shepard looked out across the landscape. The canyon sides loomed, the nearest protrusion nearly a hundred feet high. Its face was carved into an alien shape, its base formed ribbed pillars that rose to towering heights before joining a high dome covered in strange hollows. Taking a step back to view the structure as a whole, Shepard saw the shape of a gargantuan skull leers from the rock. It was a distended and putrid looking thing, covered as it was by the tendrils of the ever present green weed. Shepard whistled softly to herself as she followed the lines up into the surrounding mountains.

"There is no time, Shepard; we must not linger in the sight of such evil. Out path lies inside the structure. From there we can pass into the underground caverns and into the scar." Javik said. He was already heading for the skull-place.

"What is this place anyway?" Garrus asked as the small party moved quickly towards it.

"It was the chief temple and place of governance for the Zieophs before the war. It was consecrated to their Nightlords with the blood of Prothean slaves taken from our colonies." Javik answered darkly. "It was here that the last battle between Prothean and Zieoph was fought. It was to be the end of them." Javik pointed up into the ashen sky and drew lines as if he had seen the battle himself.

The group drew up short at the base of the temple, where the tall pillars came together to create an inverted Y-shaped frame to a great metal door. The door hung limp and twisted on hinges almost a foot in diameter. Above the mangled portal were inscribed words in thick, twisted black script cut roughly into the rock. They remained translated in Shepard's HUD.

"What does it say?" she asked as Javik took the first step towards the doorway. He stopped and turned around.

"In their language it reads; Mae'n cysgu yn y tywyllwch ac yn aros am doriad y byd, pan fydd yn codi yn y tân i ddifa y sêr. It is their prayer to Death. They chanted it even as air forsook their lungs at the points of our weapons. Come." He disappeared through the doors. Garrus followed him but Ashley balked.

"I don't know, Commander, I'm getting some serious bad vibes about this place."

"You and me both, Chief, you and me both. Come on, we'll take it together." Shepard patted the younger marine on the back. Ashley shook her head but relented. Raising their rifles to shoulder height, the two women stepped inside.

If the architecture of the outside had been macabre, it didn't hold a candle to the inside. The great vaulted hall they found themselves in was the darkest black and seemed to be made of fluid stone. The walls were frozen ripples that undulated unpleasantly. Every now and again Shepard would catch the shape of a face in the marble, only for it to be lost among the folds on a second glance. It was deeply, almost palpably unsettling. Javik and Garrus were ahead, their torch light bouncing off of the floor to splash against the walls.

Shepard sped up to catch them, almost slipping on something that crunched against the dusty floor. She withdrew her boot to find the cracked skull of some long dead nightmare. At once she could see the shape of the outer façade in the distended skull. In life, this creature would have had a head twice the size of a man, though lumpy and oval. If the rest of the skeleton was anything to go off, it would have stood hunched over on bandy legs. Wide and curved shoulders would have carried long, gangly arms ending in clawed, three fingered hands. Most horrible of all, it would have boasted a face full of long and bony tendrils, ribbed like the outer pillars of the temple. Shepard kicked it away in disgust.

"Not much to look at, are they Commander?" Ashley said, pulling a face. If these guys rolled up to Earth, I'dve put the fire to them too." The two of them passed more of the wretched skeletons as they caught up with the two aliens ahead of them. The bodies lay in heaps at the foot of their great walls and in alcoves to the side. Their heads were turned up towards the script that ran across every free space of the wall and their fingers were spread open in inviting gestures. Ahead, Javik had stopped to read another inscription. His fingers stretched inches from the black stone.

"yr estron yn dod â chelwyddau. Maent yn cael eu geni o fywyd a shun y tywyllwch. bwrw hwy allan i'r tân i'w llosgi yn ei olwg," he read. "It is a record of their first contact with the Prothean. They feared us, we didn't follow their mad religion."

"How can you know that?" Ashley asked, "Do you read their language?"

"No, it is not written in the script, but imprinted in the memory of the rock. These words are written in Prothean blood and even dead blood can hold vestiges of those who shed it." The Prothean hissed. "There is more, here; yr awyr yn cael ei duo gan eu niferoedd, y byd yn llosgi yn eu Llwybr. rydym wedi'u cymryd i y cysgodion ac yn ymladd yn yn eu yn awr at y foddhad y arglwyddi nos. They fought us; here they inscribed the records of the battles. The raids, the pitched fights among the stars, the eventual coming of our fleets."

Javik followed the walls. More of the script marched across it, occasionally broken by crude illustration or strange glyph. Often was repeated a mark that looked like an eight legged and thick skulled spider. Javik turned suddenly, looking out across the hall.

"The way down is this way," he said. The group walked breathlessly through smaller halls and narrow halls until they came upon a steep staircase cut down into the body of the hill. A smell of stale air and corruption seemed to pour almost like breath from the yawning hole. Garrus shone a light down, illuminating an endless set of rough steps. More bodies lay broken on the steps. They were not turned up in worship like those above, but instead smashed to pieces. And they were shaped differently, taller, with wide brimmed skulls flat on top with curving undersides.

"Protheans?" Shepard asked, comprehending. Javik grimaced.

"Yes. Their death was a tragedy at the time. They did not value the ultimate sacrifice as those of the later Empire. They did not even die with weapons in their hands. But it at least confirms that what we seek is truly here."

The descent was made in silence. Light made strange shadow plays of the wall frescos as they delved deeper into the underground tunnels of the Zieoph catacombs The stone down here was not the black marble of the halls above, but sandstone as gray as the sky outside. In places water dripped in unpleasant streams that smelled of sulphur and left rivulets that flowed down into the blackness. The caves took on a more natural form as they drove further down until Javik called a halt. He was standing at the edge of a great split in the rock roof. Dull light drifted down to them and glinted on something in the dark.

The first thing that Shepard noticed was that the floor felt different underfoot. I rang hollowly with every step. The walls were different too, purplish black and slick looking. Almost oily. She had seen this surface before. She knelt down and brushed away dirt and sand. Underneath was a floor of metal, cut in diamond shapes almost like the grating of the _Normandy_.

"Javik, where are we?" She asked in a hushed voice.

"You now stand on the deck of the _Narsuuvan_. The _Sword of the Moon_. It was the first dreadnaught of the Prothean people and the vessel of the Empire's first _Pradhan._ It was… broken in the final battle above this mountain. The pieces were never recovered." The alien fell to his knees and pressed both hands to the dead metal.

Shepard knelt down beside him. "Javik, why are we here?"

"There is something I must find. It will be on the bridge…" he was interrupted. A sound echoed down the dark steps they had just come down, the sound of a pebble dislodged onto rock. "We are not alone here." Both of them stood and trained weapons on the doorway. Silence fell again. Shepard strained her ears, but heard nothing. "It is this way," Javik was off again. The Prothean ship was still alien looking, but lacked the unearthly menace of the temple to death. Javik padded down curved corridors as the other's struggled to keep up. Every now and again the party would freeze, half hearing another sound. At long last, the passage opened up. The bridge of a Prothean warship was simply planned. In basic shape, it resembled a long oval tube with a flattened top and bottom. Bulbous looking consoles dotted the walls and narrow and angular chairs studded the room. Each post was manned by the collapsed bones of a fallen Prothean, still frozen in their crash positions. At the center of the room, a larger Prothean skeleton sat precariously in state. He was swathed in a regal suit of plates that still glinted gold under the layer of dust and grime. Four empty eye sockets still stared balefully ahead.

"The first _Pradhan_ of the Protheans," Javik said reverently. He approached the long dead Prothean with hands open and outstretched. He went to one knee and carefully reached out to touch the _Pradhan_. He held his hand there and closed his eyes. He stayed that way as if in a trance. Around the room, the rest of the team looked back and forth. Shepard shrugged and silently signaled for them to watch the exits.

Javik moved suddenly, his fingers snapping closed around something that hung loosely from the dead lord's belt. He withdrew his hand and held it up to the light of his rifle. It was small and glinting, about the size of a pack of gum. It was purplish-black like the walls and separated into two halves by an etched line that glowed faintly green. Javik tucked it into his own armour.

"I have what I came for. We may return to your ship."

* * *

The silent trip back up through the catacombs and the Zieoph temple were no less eerie than the trip down. Again the team was followed by a strange feeling of being watched. Nothing made itself seen though, and they left the cleft in the temple's face without incident. The Mako remained were they had left it.

"Alright, back on board," Shepard ordered as the four of them jogged across the flaky ground. The hatch popped open ahead of them, allowing Garrus to hop aboard. Javik followed, and Shepard was about to do likewise until Ashley caught her by the elbow. "What is it, Chief?"

"Something here crawls, Commander," she said uneasily. "I could have sworn something blew past us in that lower hall. Something here isn't right." She squatted in the dirt and put her hand in the deep track left by the Mako. "This is ours, right?"

Shepard nodded, the thick tread of the Mako was incredibly distinctive and almost impossible to mistake for anything else in the Alliance arsenal.

"So who left these?" She walked forwards and put a hand in a much narrower and shallower track about fifteen feet from the Mako. They ran almost parallel to the Mako's track and ended in scuff marks. Another set of track ran back out of the valley, messy from speed. "We weren't alone in there, Commander, and whoever was watching us got away clean."

* * *

Shepard and the team were welcomed back aboard with little ceremony. Nihlus accepted her report with a thoughtful look, especially when she mentioned their stalker. Then he dismissed her to wait for their arrival at Therum. Shepard was happy for a chance to get her feet out from under her and sit for a while. Therum was close; only one planet over in the Knossos system, but it would still take almost half an hour under full stealth. Shepard settled in for the short cruise down in the mess with a hot cup of naval coffee to drive away the feeling of cold that still clung to her armour and soft undersuit. The hot drink and high caffeine content did much to drive out the chills. Shepard unwound into her cup and closed her eyes, resting her chin on her free hand. After the alien landscape of Armeni, the quiet murmur of the _Normandy_ mess felt like home. Slowly, she let herself slip into a light doze.

* * *

_The Hunter held on as the ship rattled. Across the cramped hold the Avatar stood proud even in his humble surroundings. Outside the steel cocoon of the transport the Reapers prowled amongst the refugee fleet, striking at will. The Hunter was not afraid, not anymore. Those who feared had already been weeded out, leaving only the strong. And it wasn't enough. The Protheans had been driven from another world, another loss in the Long War. _

"_The ground fighting was hard, Avatar, we lost many men." The Avatar of Vengeance stirred, his four eyes fixed on the Hunter's._

"_They were lives well spent; their sacrifice will be honored amongst the peoples of the Empire. Many of the Reapers' forces were dispatched this day." The Avatar said. It was simple to him, it always had been. Kill the enemy. If more Enemy died than Prothean, it was a good day. Today had not been a good day. Despite the Avatar's stoicism, the Hunter could see the wear of battle beginning to set in. Javik looked to see the Hunter regarding him._

"_Shepard…"_

* * *

"Shepard," Javik said again. Evangeline awoke with a start, spilling a slug of coffee on the table. She gathered the pieces of her shattered decorum and fixed the Prothean with a sharp look. Alien words rose to her throat.

"You know better than to pester me at a time like this, Avatar!" Javik looked taken aback.

"What did you call me, primitive? That title is not for…" he reigned in his anger. "Where did you hear that of that name?" The anger was quickly replaced by suspicion and curiosity. Shepard set down her mug and rubbed at her temples.

"I'm not sure… It just came to me I guess. Why'd you call for me? Is something wrong?" She took up her cup again and tasted it. The drink was cold. She stood to toss it down the drain.

"You were idle; I thought it best that you be roused. In the Empire the penalty for dereliction of duty was death, though I hear that your Earth Alliance is more lax. Simple imprisonment is not a sufficient punishment for treason." He said, completely deadpan.

"Napping between engagements isn't treason, Javik," Shepard retorted. "Now what's the situation, are we at Therum yet?"

"We are. Nihlus calls for your presence. Or will you require more… 'naps.'" Javik made another face, what Shepard hoped was a smile. Shepard left her cup with the mess sergeant and snatched her helmet up from the table. She fell in behind the Prothean warrior and made for the swooping stairs that led upwards through the ship.

"These ruins on Therum, they're Prothean too, right?" She asked. The Prothean was slow to answer, but eventually he did.

"Yes, an advance compound was established after the destruction of the Zieoph, to watch over the ruins of their civilization and to mine the rich molten iron of the planet. An armed camp in the beginning, but eventually more of our scientists and industrialists flocked to the planet. The planet was not so unstable back then, it was the Reapers whose bombardment made it the firestorm it is today. They split the crust and buried the cities."

The doors opened up ahead of them to reveal a buy bridge. Nihlus and Garrus stood side by side at the galaxy map as men and women rushed by on either side. Nihlus looked up as the door opened.

"Ah, Commander, we're almost ready to begin our rescue mission. Are you up for joining the ground team?"

"Is there a reason I wouldn't?" Shepard retorted. Anger flared a little before Nihlus raised a placating hand.

"No offense meant, Shepard. Most Turians prefer a little more than twenty minutes between missions. It's been a long time since I've worked with Humans; I wasn't sure how you operate. You'll head the team then?"

"Not going to lead it yourself, sir?" Shepard asked.

"I'll be running forward scout, just like on Eden Prime. It's how I prefer to operate and I wouldn't want to step on your toes in regards to your team." He motioned towards the marines that hung back around the periphery of the room. "So, we have chosen the drop sight, here." Nihlus pointed with a claw to trace a circle around a clear, flat space of piled black gravel and rock that flared at one end to form a narrow track through the lava fields.

"That's a good LZ, nice and open, right on this highway here, but…" Shepard leaned in and peered at the map. "The road we'd have to take would lead us through choke points here… and here. Plus with this pipeline here…" Shepard's words dropped off as her eyes scanned the landscape. She broke it down, terrain, ambush sites, possible Geth incursions. Already her mind had furnished six half-formed plans. She snapped at one, catching it like a thread in the wind. "Here, we should land here," She peeled back the map the map and indicated a point on the other side of the target compound.

"Path runs through this valley here and doubles back under the cover of this ridge. No lava, no Geth. If we keep it quiet we should be able to hit the compound before the Geth can move to stop us." Nihlus looked taken aback.

"That's… brilliant," Nihlus said, looking at Garrus. The other Turian nodded.

"The Commander's right, this'll get us clear through to the target. Of course, from this side we'll have to scale a cliff here. You'll need a good man on overwatch." Shepard's eyes cut to the offending ridge. It was steeper than she'd imagined.

"Um, didn't think of that..."

"It's a good start. I think we can take that ridge. We'll set down at your location and drop a decoy at the original site. The more Geth we can pull off the doctor's position the better. Shepard, round up a squad and prep for drop."

* * *

Therum was nasty, dusty, and hot. The broken and craggy landscape was covered in the shimmers of the sweltering heat that masked the surface. Those shimmers made lining up a shot on the rapidly hopping Geth a nightmare.

"Get down!" Shepard ducked behind a narrow pinnacle of rock as more rounds flailed the land around her. Somewhere off to the left, someone screamed. "Who got hit?" She yelled, stepping out to take another shot. Rounds skittered off of kinetic barriers futilely. Ashley caught the same target in crossfire and managed to knock it down.

"Hampton, ma'am. He'll live another day. Maybe longer if he learns to keep his head down for a change!" Ashley took another shot, this time missing. "We need to find some way up that ridge, ma'am, it's going Gallipoli shaped down here!" there was an explosion behind the marine's position as if to punctuate the point. Shepard shook off the pattering rock fall and squinted back up at the ridge.

"Garrus, can you suppress the enemy center?" Shepard called. The Turian didn't respond, but the shattering of an enemy lurker made his answer clear. "Listen up, marines! I'm not going to order you up that ridge, but there's an Asari doctor on the other side that needs rescuing. I'm going to take a run at it. I'll meet anyone willing to join me at the top!" she turned and raised her rifle. She waited for another blast from Garrus rifle before she hurled herself out into the open ground between the shelter of the rocks and the steep ridge. Shot rained down almost immediately, stirring the ground at her feet into a blender of sharp stone gravel. Shepard twisted this way and that, barely staying ahead of the curtain of fire but always pushing forward. Behind her another scream rang out.

Pushing the fallen soldier from her mind, Shepard threw herself forward, managing to disappear into an overhang that sheltered her from plunging fire. More bodies flung themselves down beside her. Ashley was first, her white plated armour smoking from near misses. "Inspiring, ma'am, but now what?"

"Now we climb, Chief," Shepard replied. She slung her rifle and reached for her belt and pulled a string of grenades. Priming it, she whipped it around the overhang. The short tattoo of blasts preceded an immediate quieting of the Geth guns. "Up and at 'em!" She yelled. She and her squad emerged out onto a quite different slope. Her grenades had blown a wide and shallow breach into the ridge.

As Garrus piled on more suppression, Shepard scrabbled up the loose rock. When no fire returned to pick her men off the slope, she redoubled her efforts, dropping all attempts to avoid attack to increase her speed. Her head crested the rise to find the Geth dead and broken, Nihlus calmly buffing Geth actuator fluid from his shotgun.

"Took your sweet time, Shepard," Nihlus said, offering the human commander a taloned hand. He looked over her shoulder. "A frontal charge, bold."

"And costly," Shepard said as she hauled herself up and over the ridge. She turned to offer Ashley a hand. "It occasionally proves handy when getting past an entrenched enemy."

"Legacy of your action on Torfan?"

"More like a scar. Let's secure that compound." Shepard withdrew her rifle again and extended a hand for Javik, the last member of the small team.

The team made a quick rush for the circular entrance to the Asari's dig. The courtyard was mercifully empty, likely the Geth were off chasing the decoy. The remaining marines stacked up on the narrow tunnel into the stony earth with readied weapons. Garrus slapped the autohack on the door and let it whirl.

"Have your marines hang back, Shepard. I want our entrance held open." Nihlus ordered as the door crunched open.

"Chief?"

"Got it, ma'am, we'll keep the back door open."

* * *

The underside of Therum was very much like its topside, blackened, rocky, and hot. The long tunnel down opened into a blocky staging ground for the archaeological team. The room was roughly cut from the surrounding black stone and crammed full of folding benches littered with artifacts, mostly vague metallic shapes and darkened technology. On the edge of the table hung a loose coil of coppery wire bent into the shape of a triple helix. The way down was a rickety looking steel structure that plunged into a chasm beneath their feet. Nihlus took the lead. At his first steps, the scaffold swayed dangerously.

"Perhaps we should take this part slowly," he said. The team followed him one at a time, listening carefully for Geth. Their telltale rattling buzz was gracefully absent. The cavern was breathtaking, the walls rippled in great sheets pressed between tall pillars that disappeared into the ceiling.

"The pillars are part of the old city's kinetic barrier system," Javik supplied, following Shepard's eyes. When the planet's mantle over took them, they resisted just long enough to harden the magma into stone."

The scaffolding terminated in a broad rock shelf halfway down the cleft. Here the cavern closed in again, becoming narrow and close. Looking down, Shepard saw the cave widen again below the ridge. The cave was lit in a dim blue glow, emanating from somewhere further up the cave. At the narrowest point, an elevator hung on a thick steel cable.

"Almost seems too easy, doesn't it?" Garrus asked. Nihlus' answer was drowned out by a horrifying crunch from above. "What was that?" In answer, dust fell from the ceiling in streams. More crunches came from above.

"Whatever it is, it's must have gone right through the marines!" Shepard said worriedly.

"No, it's too far above. Whatever it is it's trying to dig down at us right from the surface." Nihlus said, "come on, I don't want that thing to catch us out here into the open. Quickly, into the elevator!" He led the charge. The team piled into the small elevator in a hurry. Nihlus cranked the controls down, letting the metal box drop to the cavern floor. Geth platforms raised their heads, lights winking on. Soon, the hall was filled with the harsh croaking of the robotic minions. Shots winged off of the metal sideboards and set the elevator swinging. He team huddled within, only Garrus lifting his head to take potshots.

"Anything we can do to get this thing moving faster!" he yelled. He leaned out again and took an unnamed shot. Something far below returned his fire, the shots nicking the steel cable. The metal threads frayed until held by only a narrow string.

"Brace for…" Shepard managed before the line broke. The elevator plunged, the metal screaming as the runners spun unimpinged against the runners. The box hit the bottom of the shaft with a crash. The door burst from its hinges and Shepard found herself thrown from it. She tucked into a roll as she burst across the fallen stone blocks. She landed roughly against the cave wall. Blinking back stars, she looked out across the cavern. Geth rushed forward to engage the team members still trapped with the elevator. Shepard reached for her rifle and found it missing. Going to her other side she snatched up her pistol.

Pulling herself to her feet with a burst of biotic power, Shepard stood and took aim at the nearest Geth. Two hardened rounds made a mess of its slender neck. Battle closed in around her and she pushed herself to meet it. Biotics and weapon pulsed in equal measure until the smoke cleared and the Geth were crushed under foot. Shepard lifted her visor and spat on the ground. She wiped her mouth weakly with the back of her gauntlet.

"Everyone in one piece?" Nihlus called. Several affirmatives sounded in the dust raised by the fight. The dust cloud slowly settled as the team regrouped under the source of the glow. Set high in the wall was a wide oval space covered over by flickering blue kinetic barriers. Suspended in the space was a small figure. As the team moved closer, the figure stirred.

"Hello? Hello out there, can you help me? I'm trapped in here! Hello?" The figure was definitely Asari, young looking, though Shepard knew the Asari didn't age the same as humans. She was wrapped in a short olive and white lab coat that cut off at mid-thigh. She was also floating in midair.

"My name is Nihlus, I'm a Council SPECTRE. Are you Doctor Liara T'Soni?"

"Yes, were you sent to rescue me?" The girl sounded hopeful. "I set these defenses off when the Geth attacked, but it seems I set something else off too. I'm held up here and I can't reach the controls. Please, you have to get me down from here."

"Calm down, Ms. T'Soni, we'll find a way." Nihlus replied. He began looking around for something that might help them, his eyes alighting on a piece of mining equipment in the distance. Before he could bring it up, Javik spoke.

"The way is simple. These 'defenses' of yours are simple shelters for the sandstorms that once ravaged this planet. It is a simple matter to disable the machinery." He raised his particle rifle and carved a deep line in the tiled panel beside the barrier. It spluttered and died, dropping the young Asari to the ground. She dusted herself off and beamed broadly at the Turian, Nihlus.

"Thank you, SPECTRE Nihlus, I… By the goddess, you aren't…" Her eyes fell on Javik. Her hand rose of its own accord as if to confirm by touch that she wasn't imagining things. Javik batted the hand away.

"You will not touch me. The Prothean Empire does not suffer foolish children that stumble through our halls." Liara jerked back. Her face fell, looking crestfallen.

"Oh, ok…" she looked around self-consciously. "If you are not here for my rescue, why have you come? Are you here about the Geth?"

"I'm afraid so, doctor. We've come to collect you; you're needed for a very important investigation that I'm running. Will you come with us to our ship?"

"Yes! Yes, I will come with you. The path behind me leads to a working Prothean elevator. I can work the…" she was interrupted by an explosion and a plume of dust from behind her. The team leveled weapons on the mouth of the elevator. The fire and smoke of the portal parted and a krogan of massive size marched out. He was gargantuan, nearly fifteen feet in height. His armour was a deep black and made of thick bands that enhanced his already massive frame. His wide shoulders braced a massive shotgun about as thick around as Shepard's head.

"I am Udun Balro, battlemaster in the service of Saren," the Krogan spoke in a voice like an open drain. "You cannot pass."

* * *

Author's Note:

This chapter was a blast to write, and I'm hoping the conclusion will be equally fun to both read and write. Given the response to the Prothean history segments, I'll definitely be including more. Which is good, because I was hurting for an arc to Javik's character before. Now I have a good idea where I'm taking him, I hope you all will stick around to see.

-Liddle Out


	10. Chapter 10: Demon

Vanguard of Vengeance: Chapter 10

The Krogan took a step forward, his heavy booted foot cracking tile underfoot. Red eyes glinted beneath a coal black ridge of bone, split lips parting to show a toothy smile. Shepard retreated a step. Balro was the biggest Krogan that she had ever seen, dwarfing the combined party to a significant degree. Balro raised his oversized weapon and bellowed a challenge. His footfalls shook the chamber as he ran at the team.

"Fall back!" Nihlus ordered. "Fall back and give fire!" The party put words to action and backpedaled furiously. Their attacks cracked and whizzed out at the charging battlemaster to no apparent effect. They struck home with the force of thunderbolts, breaking his barriers and armour in their combined fury. The gory holes they ripped knitted together with astounding speed, closing before Shepard's eyes. Balro returned fire. The shockwave of the blast alone rang loud enough to shake stones from the ceiling. The shot burst upon the shields of the Turian sharpshooter. Garrus grunted and went down as two of the heavy metal darts tore into his side.

"Garrus!" Shepard yelled. The C-Sec agent gurgled, a sign that he was still breathing at least. "Doctor, you go help him!" Shepard took an aimed shot at the still advancing Krogan. The deep furrow it open just above his eyebrow closed almost as fast as the bullet tore through it.

"I'm not that kind of doctor!" Liara yelled back. The girl was panicking, not sure what to do. At least she'd picked up a rifle from one of the fallen Geth and was putting rounds down range. That took guts, but it would be clear heads that got them out of this situation.

"You have medigel, don't you?" Shepard yelled back

"Oh, right," Liara said and dashed to the prone Garrus' side. She drew a vial of the thick cure-all from a small back that hung from her shoulder and smeared a generous amount on the turian's wound. Not a military application, but it would have to do. Shepard focused on pounding the still rampaging Balro as hard as she could. He had switched targets, this time menacingly advancing on Nihlus. The SPECTRE held his ground, forsaking his shotgun for a broad Omni-blade projected perpendicular to his wrist. He hacked at the beast, searing chunks of flesh from shoulder and side. Balro ignored it and grabbed the Turian by the neck. He lifted Nihlus easily into the air and tossed him against the wall of the cavern like a ragdoll.

"You will face me, Saren's Pet," Javik said defiantly. His particle rifle was primed; its jade green energies escaped in a torrent that charred Balro's chestplate. The Krogan seemed to stagger, but he recovered quickly. With a bellowing charge, he bull rushed the resolute Prothean, lifting him into the air with the force of the blow. Javik's rifle flew up, still firing. Its power was wasted on the roof as it carved upwards until heat vented from its sides. Javik landed on his feet, but the Krogan was upon him again. Javik would not be cowed though. He pulled a curved knife from his boot and jammed it into the Krogan's neck. Balro head-butted the Prothean and withdrew the knife. Turning the point towards its owner, he slid it neatly between the plates of Javik's lamellar armour.

"I expected more from your dead race," Balro spat.

Dust poured down on either side as he turned to set Shepard in his sights. Shepard stepped backwards, but her heel caught on something jagged, tripping her. She landed hard enough to chatter her teeth and knock the wind from her lungs. The huge bulk of the Krogan lumbered forward, his face still split by that devilish grin. Shepard fired her pistol again and again until it rang with overheat alarms. Balro went to stomp her into the dirt. Shepard rolled just in time, the heavy boot falling beside her with enough force to crack stone. The boot came down again and again, each time getting closer to its target. With a cry, Shepard was caught by one of the blows. Balro held her there as he pulled his massive shotgun. Close as she was, Shepard could see the barbs suspended within the barrel.

"You have spirit, little human," the Krogan said with a voice that had the sound of heavy metal chain pulled over rock. "I am glad I saved you for last." He cocked his weapon as his finger wrapped around the trigger. In a last, desperate move, Shepard summoned every ounce of her biotic powers. The gun fired with a roar, but it was not the open end of the barrel from which the barbs flew. Shepard's desperate barrier within the open end of the gun had held, the energy of firing instead directed upwards. The concussion of the blast was enough to send both of them reeling, knocking Balro backwards and slamming Shepard into the ground. Something gave beneath her and Shepard had to scrabble to escape a falling section of the floor. Balro wasn't so lucky. He fell right through the collapsing segment and onto the ground below. He coughed roughly as a spear of rock was thrust through his chest.

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief and moved to stand. She was ripped from her feet and pulled towards the hole. Beneath her, Balro struggled to unpin himself from the spear that held him, his efforts staining the ground with his black blood. Her roared and tightened his biotic grip on Shepard's ankle. Shepard caught the edge of the hole and clung to it for dear life. Through sheer strength of will, she heaved herself up on her elbows, but Balro still held tight. He redoubled his efforts, straining Shepard's grip until she let out a cry of pain. Her mind spinning, her eyes darted around the corridor. Her hand found her pistol and she fired behind her one handed. Balro didn't let go, even as round slammed into his already ruined chest. Even now he was regenerating.

Shepard turned her eyes upwards in desperation. Something caught her eye. Desperate, she fired straight upwards. Her shot slammed into the ceiling. A great spar of rock, already loosened by Javik's particle weapon, fell from the roof. Its rough leading edge scraped against Shepard's should, almost bringing her with it. It passed her though, landing with a sickening crunch. Balro's biotic grip disappeared and Shepard rocketed up out of the hole with a tortured gasp for breath. She lay there stunned, holding her battered ankle.

* * *

The _Normandy's_ med bay was busy as the slender necked ship rocketed away from the volcanic Therum, Geth fighters in pursuit. Within the belly of the frigate, Shepard looked out over the ward. Her own side was bound up over a triplet of fractured ribs, while Garrus lay in bed being treated for both his wounds and a nasty reaction to the levo medigel. Javik was awake but unresponsive. He had refused to allow Dr. Chakwas to treat damage to organs she had never seen before, instead opting to slather the affected area with a foul smelling gel salvaged from his cryotube. Combined with the casualties and injuries taken by Chief Williams and her squad, the first action of her and Nihlus' mission to take down Saren felt like a bitter victory at least.

Nihlus himself had left the medbay immediately after receiving treatment for the cracked mandible he had received at the hands of the battlemaster of Clan Udun. The fight with the monstrous Krogan hadn't shaken him, not exactly, but Shepard was sure she saw some specter of doubt rise up in his beady eyes as he walked the ship.

"You're free to go, Commander," Dr. Chakwas said, withdrawing the medical sensor tray on its swinging arm. "I'd avoid any further action for the rest of the day. And, I know you won't like this, but put a hold on your workout regimen for the week."

Chakwas was right; Shepard didn't like that at all. "The Workout," as anyone who had ever served with her referred to it, was a ritual that had followed Shepard out of the gutter and into the service. She had performed the Workout on such varied fields as Jump Zero, Torfan, and Arcturus, never altering it and only missing a session for active combat.

And now she had been told to lay off it for a whole week. Shepard smiled politely to the good doctor and took her proffered medical orders, though she waved off the sling. Inwardly grumbling, Shepard swung her legs off of the medical table and hauled herself up to her feet. Her ribs protested, a harsh grating feeling just below the muscles. Perhaps Shepard would accept the sling after all.

Shepard left the medbay with her arm strapped tightly across her chest. The mood in the mess was tense, as it often was after taking casualties. Shepard offered a reassuring nod to a group of marines clustered around the table. They didn't return it. Many of them sported bruises and scrapes from the action of the day, with a few with more serious injuries awarded a place of honor closest to the laid out MREs. The man called Hampton had his head wrapped in light gauze to cover the medigel treatment over the eye he'd likely never use again.

Shepard kept walking, avoiding there glances. Her steps took her up towards the command deck. There stood Nihlus, still in his black combat armour. The volcanic dust of Therum still clung to him, except were dark blue blood had been wiped from around his jaw and chest. Half of his face was in a cast, making him look like he wore some half-formed mask. He turned from his podium as Shepard approached.

"Ah, Commander. It's good to see you up and about again. Good work down on Therum, I'll be sure to include it in your file when you reapply for the SPECTREs." Shepard was taken aback.

"Reapply? The Council seemed pretty sure they wanted nothing to do with me," She responded.

"Yes," Nihlus said, looking back across the bridge, "They'll come around, I'm sure of it. Joker, try to put a little more speed on. I don't like the look of the Geth pursuit, we've raised quite the jarrok nest." Joker's terse reply came back from the cockpit and Nihlus chuckled. "You've got yourself quite the pilot, Shepard, but his unprofessional attitude would never fly on a Turian vessel."

"It's lucky this ship flies Alliance colours then," Shepard replied. "And didn't we beat you guys last time we matched up?"

"You certainly gave it a try, and came pretty close, much as the Hierarchy loathes admitting and tries every day to forget. Not that they should, the Turian fleet could use a measure of flexibility. The hardest sword is sharp to a point, but then it snaps. The Alliance forces are more like a rapier, just enough give to bring the opponent in, then comes the snap." He punctuated his words by banging a fist against the railing. "I've always admired that."

The holographic display in front of him shifted. Whereas before, the Normandy was displayed alone in a sea of black, the image now zoomed out to show the whole system. The planet Therum now swarmed with activity, as did a few of the inner planets. The Normandy had already developed a tail of smaller ships that trailed behind it. If not for what it represented, the image would have been quite pretty.

"We'll have to keep pushing her for all she's got," Shepard said. "This whole system will be swarming with Geth by the end of the day. If they beat us to the relay we'll have nowhere to hide."

"I'll have a chat with our resident Quarian; see if we can't show these synthetics the meaning of haste." The Turian was quiet after that, seemingly content to watch the swarm of Geth ships spread out into a search grid. Under the cover of stealth, there was no way for the Geth to spot them at long range, but if they tripped one of the close sensor nets… He gave a muffled groan and reached for his face. "I've been on the SPECTRE intelligence network. Turns out this Udun Balro heads up a clan up in the highlands of Tuchanka."

"You afraid this clan of his will cause trouble now that he's dead?" Shepard asked.

"I'm afraid it might be a little too late for that. Clan Udun left Tuchanka nine months back. Not just the men, but the women and the young. Their fortresses in the hill were stripped bare down to the rock. I think Balro signed his whole clan over to… to the Reapers. Clan loyalty in that region being what it is, they'll likely still follow it under a new battlemaster."

"Are they all as tough as him?" Shepard asked, her hand unconsciously going to her own wound.

"No, Balro was a beast even among his people. The rest of his clan is no bigger than the average Krogan, not that that is especially comforting. Now, once we make good our escape, I have a few outstanding missions that need taken care of. I want you to work with our new crewmember and the Prothean on digging up some new leads in the meantime." Shepard saluted and turned.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Rain pattered on the ruins of some abandoned warehouse on the forgotten backside of an unpopulated world. Or at least, the official records held on the Citadel claimed it was unpopulated. The truth was somewhat more complicated. Shepard ducked under another spray of pulsing blue fire.

"I thought you said, 'empty, lonely world. Maybe fifteen, twenty hostiles.' That's what you said, right?" Shepard yelled over the sound of pulsing assault rifles and buzzing Geth platforms. There were more than twenty of them.

"Those were the numbers given by my informant on the slaver gang that set up shop here. There was no way of knowing that the Geth would beat us here!" But the Geth had beaten them there. The synthetics had sprung their trap shortly after the small team had infiltrated the broken down warehouse. Just enough time to separate themselves from the Mako that could have whisked them away to safety, but not enough time to react to the skinned bodies of thirteen Batarian slavers that had been left where they had fallen, haphazardly scattered like broken dolls on the warehouse floor. The attack had been sudden, the only warning a flicker of long dead bulbs as static washed over the concrete.

Shepard lined up a shot on another platform. The grey armoured trooper had been trying to flank what little cover Nihlus and his team had managed to scrape together from the sodden detritus of the battlefield.

"How are we getting out of this one, Commander?" Ashley asked at Shepard's elbow. The marine Chief slapped a fresh string of microgrenades into her under-slung launcher. "Because if you need a couple of pointers, I've got five of them right here." The launcher's action closed with a snap.

"Give me a second, I'm thinking," Shepard said. More rounds snapped off of the metal shield that stood between her and her ambushers. Something splashed to her right. Shepard spun, rifle coming up. Her broken ribs torqued and she twinged, the shot going wide. Out of a blur of invisiblilty, a white painted Geth winked into existence wielding a curved and wide barreled shotgun. Shepard kept firing and dragged her point of aim up and onto its chest plate. The rounds sparked uselessly on kinetic barriers.

"Watch your head!" The Geth jerked as something hit it just below the shoulder. A neat hole began to leak translucent fluid as it fell as if in slow motion. It collapsed at Shepard's feet and she kicked it away. She turned to look behind her. Garrus waved, the barrel of his rifle still steaming in the heavy rain.

"Thanks for the cover!" Shepard yelled back. She put her shoulder back to her cover and her mind back to thinking. The situation was fast becoming untenable, their position dire. If they didn't break the ring the Geth had put them in soon, they would be overrun. Shepard's eyes scanned the warehouse, desperate for something, anything. She caught sight of an overhang just above the south entrance. "Chief, can you put one of your grenades over that door?"

"Do the Salarians speak faster than Turians can think?" Ashley replied. Shepard gave her a puzzled look. "Sure thing, Commander, I'll need some covering fire though." The Gunnery Chief readied her weapon. Shepard offered her a grim smile and flexed her fingers.

"On my signal; Three… two…" Before she had gotten to one, Shepard sprung up from her position. Raising only the arm on her unwounded side, she concentrated all of her biotic strength. Her arm, hands, and fingers were wreathed in swirling energy oily purple in colour. It pulsed and grew only for a short second before being unleashed by Shepard's feral grin. It spread outwards, expanding as it knocked aside Geth and loose stone. The attack on that side knocked sprawling, giving Ashley enough time to make one shot.

The launcher fired with a soft pop. Too small for the eyes to follow, the micro grenade spun through the air towards its target. It hit the crumbling concrete of the overhang with a splatter of adhesives. It exploded. The wall above the blast almost shattered, its broken parts falling to splash down in a pile in front of the door. The falling concrete crushed Geth beneath it and blocked that passage. With the back entrance closed off, the flow of Geth slowed, but it didn't stop. Now though, there was a chance. The rain continued to fall across the battlefield, but now it was Shepard's battlefield. Around her, the members of her ground team advanced in defiance to the attacking synthetics. Shepard paused for a second to survey the ground. Lightning played through the air above, illuminating the battlefield. Atop a ruined watchtower on the outer wall of the abandoned warehouse. A figure perched atop it, dark against the night. Shepard blinked. The figure was gone, replaced by shadows.

* * *

Author's Note:

That's Therum down and a new member added to the crew. The next chapter or two will cover a few side missions. I'm trying to invent a few, so it won't all be old hat. Let me know how you like the action in this segment, I've been working on spicing it up a little. Comments and reviews, as always, are welcomed.

NonSolus, Lomskis: If there's any one language that could be mistaken for alien, I'd have to say it was Welsh. No offense to the land of mountains and dragons, but I like to use vowels when I speak. Other than that, the Zieoph were fun to write about, so if you liked them you can look forward to more strange and alien cultures from Javik's past.

Full Paragon: I figured BalrogGandalfKrogan would be the perfect end boss for a crawl through an ancient alien mine. I hope Shepard's fight with him stands up to its inspiration.


	11. Chapter 11: Flight to Noveria

Vanguard of Vengeance: Chapter 11

Embarkation under fire wasn't one of Shepard's favourite ways to begin the day.

The open mouth of the _SSV Normandy_ way waiting ahead of her; the thin, shark-like frigate hovered only meters off the ground on jets of blue mass effect. Shepard looked behind her as she ran. _More Geth, and some of the big ones too._ Shepard refocused her eyes forward as an errant rock almost sent her sprawling. The harsh rattle of gunfire reached her seconds after a hail of small needles scattered across a rock to her left. The commander dodged to the right and kept moving. Then something else reached her ears. The soft *tump-tump* sound of artillery that any infantryman worth his salt learned to hate.

"Everyody down!" Shepard yelled as she dropped and rolled. She tucked herself in the lee of another pillar of rock that stuck out of the dusty ball of stone that made rather ambitious claims to planethood. Already the mortar rounds were falling around her, each coming in with a sharp whistle before bursting in a raucous cloud of smoke and metal fragments. Shrapnel rattled off of her kinetic barriers as shot after shot slammed the ground around them.

"Shepard!" Garrus was yelling. Evangeline raised her head and saw the bird-like alien crouched low in a shallow streambed. Another shell went off, raising a choking cloud of dust between them. Even behind the billowing dust, Shepard knew that the Turian was right. If they stayed here, under fire, they'd either bite a mortar bomb or be overrun by the Geth as they approached under the walking barrage.

"Joker, any help you could render would be much appreciated. The team's pinned down here!"

"Alright, but you better keep your head down, I've only done this once," the signal became choppy as the floating frigate pitched forward and bounced upwards. Shepard swiped at the dust that suddenly clung to her armour as the static wash rushed over her. The mortar rounds continued to fall unabated.

"Joker!"

"Okay, okay, this kind of thing is tricky. Prepare for three rounds, danger close."

Shepard froze. Three _rounds_. She'd been expecting a GUARDIAN burst or perhaps one of the _Normandy_'s precision missiles, but _rounds_? Mere seconds later, she heard the sound she had dreaded. With a shrill whistle that sounded like the shriek of an over pressured steam engine, the _Normandy_'s main guns loosed their tungsten slugs. Fired at a velocity designed to hole other frigates, the slugs exited the barrel so fast that they ignited in the dusty atmosphere. They streaked, white hot, through the air with the sound of ripping canvas and dragged a burning gale behind them. Shepard squeezed her eyes closed tightly and yelled into the noise as the slugs hit the ground hard enough to shake her like a doll. Her ears rang and her vision blurred as one, two, three rounds ripped out and into the ground in front of her.

Dizzily, she knew this was her chance to make a run for it. She stumbled as she started running. Something collided with her and she instinctively drew her combat knife. Garrus raised a hand to block and yelled something that she couldn't make out. She shook her head and sheathed the knife.

"This way!" She yelled, tinny in her own ears. The two of them set off at an awkward run, not looking back. To the side, Javik and Nihlus ran in lockstep towards safety. Fire from the Geth had just begun to snap at their heels once more when the dust cloud parted to reveal the waiting mouth of the _Normandy_. Shepard took it at full tilt, pitching forward as boots scrabbled on dirty metal grating. More footfalls sound behind her and the ship pitched upwards. The howl of the wind cut off sharply as the outer hatch clanged shut. Shepard ripped off her helmet and let her forehead rest on the chill metal as she struggled to gain control of her breathing.

"Danger close? I'll show him some danger close. Joker, what the hell was that? Lasers not sporting enough for you?"

"Sorry about that, Commander," Joker's voice drifted down from the horn on the cargo bay wall. "GUARDIAN ports were locked down to prevent scratching from all the dust that was being kicked up. Honest, Commander, if there was any other way…"

Shepard grumbled but had to admit that it had at least gotten them out alive. She picked herself up and found Nihlus watching her mirthfully. "What are you smiling at?" she muttered darkly. The Turian chuckled.

"Do you often berate your men for saving your life?" he gave the equivalent of a smug grin. Shepard stared bullets at the SPECTRE and was about ready to slap him hard enough to knock a mandible or two askew until she saw the joking twinkle in his eyes. She let a dark chuckle of her own.

"You here this, Chief?" she asked as Ashley descended on the cargo elevator.

"Bet you never expected a dressing down on harsh treatment of subordinates from a Turian," the Chief replied mirthfully. "Mission accomplished?"

Shepard looked back towards the closed hatch. "Just barely. The Geth dropped in right after we secured the target. I think we've moved far beyond coincidence."

"This is what, the third time they've landed on us? If I didn't know better I'd say they were still chasing us. I guess putting his pet Krogan under didn't do anything for Saren's love of humans." Ashley said snidely. "You've got a message waiting for you up in C&C, Council wants to talk about something, I guess."

"Thank you, Chief Williams," Nihlus answered. "I'll take that immediately. Shepard; secure the haul, we'll speak about the mission later." The Turian swept off, leaving Shepard flatfooted in the cargo hold.

"What was that all about?" Ashley asked, falling in beside Shepard and crossing her arms. Shepard looked over at her Gunnery Chief and sighed.

"I don't know, Williams, I don't think he's handling chasing after Saren well."

"You'd have thought this was his bread and butter, being a SPECTRE and all."

"Saren was his friend though," Shepard pointed out. She returned a salute to the pair of orderlies that rushed past to help Javik up to the infirmary. The surly Prothean had caught another cruel gash at the hands of a creeping Geth. He ignored the offered hand and pulled himself to his feet with a painful grunt.

"I guess there's that. So, what's 'the haul' we risked ourselves for this time?"

Shepard reached behind her back and withdrew a thick sided plastic case. She slapped it down on the upper surface of a nearby crate and cracked it open. Ashley leaned over and peeked inside. Her eyes shifted up to meet Shepard's, an "are you serious" expression sliding across her face. Shepard nodded and opened the case all the way. A dry, fragile looking scrap of fabric unrolled to reveal a faded blue glyph.

"This is what we sat around being shot at for?" the Chief asked. "What even is it?"

"Some symbol of a long lost Turian colony. If I remember correctly the Turians sent seventeen colony ships out once they found their first relay. That was before they realized how rare Dextro-worlds were. A good half of them put down and eventually unified under the Hierarchy, but I guess this one got pushed out further and tried to put down here regardless." Ashley seemed a little stunned at the sudden blurb.

"Did Nihlus tell you that?"

"Read it in a book, Chief. Now remember to save a seat for me at the table tonight, I don't want to have to pull rank like last time. I gotta go see what this Council brief is all about."

"Aye ma'am." Ashley saluted smartly.

* * *

"Nihlus." Shepard strode into the briefing room ready to wring the details of the next mission out of the Turian SPECTRE. She hadn't expected him to be sitting in a chair staring up at the blank screen.

"Commander," he said with a start. "I suppose you're here about the brief."

"If you'd be so kind." Shepard adopted a loose parade rest and scrutinized the man in front of her. He stood slowly, almost reluctantly. Shepard had seen it before, usually just before bad news.

"We have our lead," Nihlus said heavily. He laid a taloned hand on the holographic pedestal as Shepard stood beside him. At his words she had to suppress a double take. Surely this was good news. Nihlus punched up an image of blanched and craggy world that orbited a small and dim star. It spun slowly, it's frozen surface cloaked by wispy clouds and thick blizzards.

"This is Noveria," Nihlus said. "It's a corporate outpost on the fringe of Citadel space. Citadel Intelligence reports sightings of Geth in the northern hinterlands. For the most part they seem to be trying to keep themselves hidden, but recently a crawler convoy to a facility called 'Peak 15' was ambushed and destroyed."

"You think this Peak 15 has something to do with Saren?"

"We do," Nihlus brought up a new image, that of an older Asari. Much older by the look of her, Shepard knew the aliens aged slowly. "This is the Asari Matriarch, Benezia. Citadel Intelligence reported her missing almost a month ago, but all signs point to her fleeing here."

"Trying to get away from the Reaper?" Shepard murmured.

"What was that?"

"It makes sense," Shepard said, ignoring him. She grasped at threads, tying each one into a web until a full-fledged theory unrolled in her mind. "Saren's trying to find some Prothean artifact, right? So he finds himself an expert, Dr. T'Soni. Only the doc's underground, literally at the time, so he starts searching, but on the side he starts looking for a way to assure T'Soni's cooperation."

"A hostage, yes…" Nihlus said. He looked up into the face of Benezia. "But he only found Liara within the last week and Benezia has been gone for almost six times that. The Reaper couldn't have been… I mean, I spoke with Saren before." He fell quiet.

"So what's our move?" Shepard asked, tactfully changing the subject. The SPECTRE may have usurped command of the _Normandy_, but Shepard knew a soldier didn't leave another warrior to wallow in their doubts. Nihlus perked up and stood a little straighter.

"Of course we'll have to move on this, if an Asari Matriarch is being targeted, the Council will want us to get involved. The problem is that Noveria is outside of Council jurisdiction. As a corporately run colony, SPECTREs are barred from the capital, Port Hanshin, without a pass from one of the dozen or so ruling stock-companies. Without one, it'll be a hard push to avoid the sentinel craft and ground to air Javelins."

"You think you can get us one?" Shepard watched the images of the capital space port fly by. Hanshin was an oddity, not quite beautiful, though not entirely ugly. It was a strange mix of utility and aesthetics that rung false in her mind.

"I think…"

Nihlus was interrupted as the doors to the circular room swept open with a hiss. Storming down the shallow ramp came the asari, Liara, clad once again in her white and dull green lab coat. Her face seemed caught between emotions, obviously distressed and flustered, but just short of being able to conjure up real anger. Shepard wondered idly if the relatively young Asari was even capable of it.

"That, that monster!" Liara stuttered as she almost landed on top of Nihlus. "SPECTRE, I…"

"What appears to be the problem, Dr. T'Soni?" Nihlus asked. "You haven't been arguing with our Prothean guest again, have you?"

"Arguing implies that there are two sides," Liara responded darkly. "I cannot believe that Javik is representative of his Empire. These are not the people I have spent my life studying." She took a deep and steadying breath before looking up. "Oh, Commander Shepard. I am sorry you had to hear that rant." Her blue skin darkened as if flushed.

"Dr. T'Soni," Nihlus said in a fluted voice, "while I understand that contact with the Prothean is likely a shock to you, I can't have your continued sparring disrupting operations here on the ship. Now, might I suggest you either come to accept that he _is_ representative of the now fallen Prothean Empire, or take steps to avoid further conversations with him?"

"I… yes, of course," Liara said. She seemed to wilt before the Turian and Shepard couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for her.

"I wouldn't get too worked up about it, Doctor. Odds are Javik isn't like most Protheans at the height of their civilization. He was born at the tail end of a genocidal war."

"Yes, yes, why didn't I think of that," Liara said. Her face brightened considerably, though it fell almost as quickly. "Oh, I've made a fool of myself again."

"We can worry about your academic pursuits later, Doctor. Right now the problem at hand is putting down on Noveria to res… You, know, perhaps you can help us after all. Have you ever been to Noveria, Doctor T'Soni?"

"Um… yes. I was part of a lecture circuit there once. I suppose most of my talking points have been rendered obsolete now."

"You wouldn't have happened to make any contacts who could secure us a landing pass, would you?" Nihlus asked. He was steadfast now, much more confident than the man Shepard had walked in on.

"I could make a few calls, I suppose. Why are we going to Noveria? Have the Reapers attacked?" Liara stood on tiptoe to see the screen. "Is that Benezia?"

"Yes," Shepard answered bluntly. "We have reason to believe that Saren wants her for leverage to use against you in his search for the Prothean Conduit. She's been seen on Noveria, as have the Geth."

"I'll have to make some calls, may I use the communications array for a time?"

"Of course," Nihlus answered. "Shepard; Inform your crew that we will be making all speed for Noveria. Start assembling a mission brief and pick a team to take groundside. I'll remain here with Doctor T'Soni."

"Aye," Shepard saluted and turned on her heel for the door.

* * *

Given how little Citadel Intelligence had actually scratched up on the inner workings of Noveria, the mission brief didn't take long to hash out. From the XO's desk tucked away in the back corner of the bridge, she thumbed through several conflicting reports on the place, plucking out anything that seemed to be reported in more than one place. Noveria was shaping up to be less like a colony and more like a thick corporate forest. One couldn't wander too far from the officially designated path before getting lost or hauled away for corporate espionage. Shepard made a special note to avoid running afoul of the Port's chief of security, who on paper looked formidably and in person was likely to be deadly.

Giving up further preparation as a bad job, Shepard hauled herself down to the crew deck to sit in on the traditional pre-mission round of Skylian Five poker. While Alliance regulations expressly forbade gambling with one's combat bonus', Captain Anderson had turned a blind eye to much of the off-regulation stress relief that went on below decks, as long as it left you fit to serve the following day. There were some new faces at the table that night, or more accurately, a new face and a mask. Tali had spent the intervening times since being picked up on the Citadel to study every hand played by the Marines. Now she was cleaning up.

Shepard bowed out before she ended up owing the bubbly Quarian a small moon or two and collapsed into her bunk. The game continued until it was interrupted by some sharp and condescending remarks from Javik. Apparently gambling amongst "the Old Empire" would get you thrown out of the nearest airlock. Apparently what the Prothean's lacked in creativity they make up for in consistency. With quiet descending once again on the berths, Shepard fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

_The Hunter watched as Avatar Javik ran on ahead. This new world was not like the last one they had landed on. This world fought. Here the local Omrahs had been more lenient than most in regards to the prescriptions against arming the slave races, for what little good it did against the Great Enemy. The Hunter could not blame them, at least they were trying._

_Another blast rocked the bunker they had sheltered in. Avatar Javik stood tall amongst the falling rubble._

"_Unacceptable," he bellowed in the common tongue. The administrator before him quailed. "The Empire demands Vengeance, Sadar Prewik. Blood for blood. Why do you hold your men back while your slaves spend their lives?"_

"_Please, Avatar," the man fell to his knees as the bunker rattled again. "We thought to preserve ourselves, ride out the storm in suspension until the glorious return of the Empire. Even now the slaves draw the Reapers away from us. We have prepared a place for you!" A glint of madness filled the Sadar's eyes, as if he truly believed to tempt the Avatar of Vengeance from His true path with the prospect of a restful sleep. As if he would ever accept such a fate._

"_You are not worthy!" The Hunter was surprised to hear arise from within. Avatar Javik looked on approvingly regardless._

"_The Hunter is correct. The Empire does not need those who would snivel in a hole. I am taking your men into the field, where they will wreak a terrible price upon the heads of the Reapers."_

"_You can't… You can't do that!" the Sadar cried. "You don't have the Authority!"_

"_I can, and I will. Hunter, show the Sadar here our Authority." The Hunter stepped forward with relish. Drawing the heavy particle pistol that hung low in a thigh holster, the Hunter moved behind the quivering official. The thick barrel pressed harshly against exposed neck meat, setting the disgraced officer mewling._

"_Make peace with your ancestors, for your body will have no such luxury." The green light pulsed, and the Sadar's brains painted the ground around him._

* * *

Shepard catapulted awake from her surreal dream and found her world masked in shades of green. She shook her head, slowly clearing her vision. She ground the heels of her palms against closed eyes and took a deep breath. Every one of the bizarre visions seemed more real than the one before. Every time she brought a little more of the dream back with her. Something clattered to the ground beside her bunk. She rolled over to see her watch ticking quietly on the metal grating. She snatched it up quickly and checked for damage. A snapped pin, simple to fix. None the less, a frown creased her brow. She could have sworn she'd fallen asleep with it strapped to her wrist. She flipped it over and gazed at its face, her eyes following the analogue hands traversing the seconds. She rubbed her thumb over the raised letters on the back. K A

She broke from thoughts of the lost and slapped the watch back on, pausing to run her Omni-tool over the broken pin. It melted back together as mass effect fields flash heated the flexible metal. An alert popped up on the orange lit computer.

Shepard read it, her eyes almost popping as she noted the time. Well after the beginning of the morning watch. Shepard leapt from her bunk and rushed through her morning routine. The marines still loitering knew well to stay out of her way, and so it was barely twenty minutes after waking that she stood on the bridge, still pink from the sonic shower's scrubbing. Pulling on her itching collar, she swore that she'd one day serve on a ship with running water.

"XO Shepard, reporting for duty," She rushed out. A particularly disheveled looking Deck Officer Pressley looked up from where he had apparently been propped up after standing the night watch.

"I stand relieved," he muttered mutinously as he crawled off to get some much needed shut eye. Nihlus clucked his tongue from his post up on the pulpit. Shepard ignored him, instead accepting a cup of strong ship's coffee from a nearby ensign. The rough drink brought back a sense of alertness to her still tired frame, enough to concentrate on what hung suspended above the holographic galaxy map projector.

"At Noveria already?" She asked, noting the slight fuzz of the close range sensors.

"Just about," Nihlus said. "I was about to send a search party."

"Had a little trouble sleeping," Shepard admitted.

"I could have sworn the trouble was with getting up," Ashley said cheerfully from where she stood conversing with the blond Chief of the guard. "You're not too tired to take a walk groundside, are you Commander." Her voice was just a little too cheerful for someone who would be spending her next week's pay buying gourmet Quarian suit rations, but Shepard let her have her gentle ribbing.

"I don't know, Chief, I think I'm going to need you to carry me on this one."

"I'll have my marines rig up a wheelbarrow duty," Ashley shot back.

"We're getting wheelbarrows now?" Garrus said as he emerged from the lower decks. Behind him trailed Tali and further back Liara stepped up awkwardly. All of them were already arrayed in a rather eclectic looking collection of armour. While Tali's deep purple envirosuit was already exotic looking, she had apparently spent the night stuffing it with as many cold weather layers as she could lay her hands on. Garrus had gone the opposite route. He now wore a stripped down version of his C-Sec uniform that looked almost civilian. Liara took the cake though. Apparently not happy with the protection offered by a thin rubber labcoat, the Asari doctor had wrapped herself in what looked like an armoured tuxedo, complete with tails. It was all Shepard could do to keep a straight face.

"I see you're all ready to go," She said blandly. She motioned for them to join her at the rail in front of the projection. "You read the brief papers?"

"We did," Tali said. "So this Benzine…"

"Benezia," Liara corrected.

"Right, Benezia, she's down there somewhere?"

"We're currently working on locating her. Things will likely get easier once we hit the pavement."

"I wouldn't count on it," Garrus said, pointing at the projection with a sharp gesture. Shepard followed his arm and saw what is was he was pointing at. Two ships had risen from the planet. From here they looked like small patrol boats, but as they drew closer the sensors filled in the blanks, revealing two ships of almost frigate tonnage. Suddenly the radio squawked.

_Unknown vessel, this is Noveria patrol flight Longbow. You are on an unregistered flight path, turn back now or you will be fired upon._

Nihlus nodded to Liara, who stepped forward nervously.

"Um, hello," she started. Behind her, Ashley shook her head. Shepard shot her a harsh look and a whispered reprimand. "This is Doctor Liara T'Soni. I have a pass for landing." The Asari almost squeaked. The pilot of the patrol flight seemed to mull that over.

_Doctor T'Soni, we do not have you on the books. I suggest you turn your ship around and wait for an official Company envoy._

"No! No, I mean, I definitely have a pass. Professor Celebrian said…"

_Doctor T'Soni, divert to this flight path, you are cleared to land._ The voice on the radio suddenly said, speaking over the young Asari. The bridge crew exchanged looks, but Nihlus spoke up simply stating, "Do it." In the cockpit, Joker shrugged and pulled into a shallow dive. Behind him, the two patrol boats followed.

* * *

Author's Note:

It's Noveria time! Before the question pops up, yes, this chapter does include a minor retcon. In the continuity of VoV, Tali's evidence is short the lines that would otherwise implicate Benezia of working with Saren and the Reapers. This is for a few thematic reasons, and i hope you'll forgive the conceit. Otherwise, enjoy the show and I hope to see you all next week for another installment, probably of Interloper, though it really depends what kind of mood I'm in.


	12. Chapter 12: Cold Call

Vanguard of Vengeance: Chapter 12

Icy winds blew across the glacial surface of Noveria, shrouding the frosty continents in thick drifts of snow. It was into the heart of this blizzard that the _Normandy_ dove. The light frigate shook in the hands of the storm, the consoles inside the cockpit rattling. Enclosed in his pilot's couch, Joker gritted his teeth.

"This crawls, Commander," he spat out between frantic course corrections. "They've got us locked in tight on this course. If someone down there takes a dislike to us, we'll be sitting ducks."

"Just hold her steady, Flight Lieutenant," Nihlus said, though he himself looked agitated. His mandibles quivered as another stiff wind caught the ship and bounced it like a toy. "At least the course is a straight line; you shouldn't find it much harder than zipping up your flight suit on the way out of the bathroom." The Turian laughed as the human pilot made a face. "Hold us steady." He finished simply. The Turian Spectre turned away from the cockpit and marched back to where the ground team stood, ill at ease.

"You don't think they'll actually shoot us down, do you?" Liara asked as she nervously toyed with one of her scalp tendrils. "I mean, we have a Spectre on board."

Tali made a dismissive noise. "The Council doesn't run things out here, Nihlus' badge is worth about as much as the metal it's stamped on. These Noverian rent-a-varrens might just take potshots at us for fun and then charge us for the tungsten."

Shepard was taken aback at the bitterness in the usually bubbly Quarian voice. "I take it you've had some run-ins with the corporations here in the past?" she asked. Tali shook her head.

"I've never been here in person, but you hear stories, stories of Quarians on their Pilgrimage who try and broker some kind of deal in Port Hanshan and just disappear. And not before being robbed of every credit beforehand. It is not considered… safe by the Migrant Fleet."

"So, Liara," Shepard said, curious but also desperate to draw the conversation away from being shot out of the sky. "Who's this contact of yours?" The ship rocked as the current shifted.

"Celle was a pupil of my mother when I was younger, a real genius when it came to the field of xeno-archaeology. We were close, she was almost like an older sister to me when I was younger and Benezia always treated her like a daughter. She really gave me a leg up when I was first working on my Doctorate. She set up my first lecture here, but that was a long time ago."

"Well it seems she still has the kind of pull that gets us a free pass to the surface, so I'm not comp…"

"What is the meaning of this?" an angry voice sounded from the back of the flight deck. Liara's face fell and Garrus rolled his eyes. Javik, _Pradhan_ of the Protheans burst out of the stairwell and blew past the marine stationed by the door. His yellow eyes were afire with a baleful anger and a twisted sneer tugged at his bifurcated lips. "Why was I not informed that we were entering potential combat operations?"

"We're not entering potential combat operations!" Liara blurted out. The Prothean's sneer twisted further until it almost reached a snarl.

"Once again you show your naivety, podling. Any landing under your own power is a potential combat operation. Landing under someone else's power is a failed combat operation."

"Look, your Highness," Shepard said almost sarcastically. "This was just a routine landing. Now, I'm not in charge, but neither are you. So if you want us to come running to you every time something the least bit interesting happens, I'm afraid you're in for some disappointment. I suggest you camp out on the bridge if you're so concerned, Mr. Vengeance." Javik puffed up his chest in indignation, a motion that set his ribbed plate armour scraping in a sound much like a sword drawn from its sheath. Shepard shot him a glare right back. The Prothean blinked first.

"The correct term of address is 'Your Most Exalted,'" he snapped. "But since I am now here, I will forgive your impertinence. I will accompany this mission." And with that he spun and moved sternwards, probably to fetch up the dagger-like particle rifle he favoured. Shepard rolled her eyes at his back. The ship rocked a final time as Joker made the drop to put them in line with Port Hanshan's open hanger bay.

"This is it, people," Nihlus said, heading back from the cockpit with rifle already unfolded in his hands. "Once we come to rest, I want a nice clean disembarkation. We'll make for the doors single file in quick time. Keep your eyes peeled and your weapons ready, but don't start shooting until I release you to do so. These people seem unusually unfriendly today, but we don't want to give them any reason to bar us from the port. Understood?" There was a smattering of "understoods" and "agreeds" to which Nihlus nodded appreciatively. "Now, did I hear Javik just now?" any answer was cut short as the telltale crunch and thump of the docking clamps resonated through the bridge. "Never mind, alright, pile out!" he slapped the airlock release and the small team filed in. With a hiss of air and a rush of frigid cold, the outer door rolled open. Immediately, sound was ripped from the small compartment, replaced by the droning, unchanging rush of the wind. Blinding white snow rushed past, blanketing the hollow in which the _Normandy _in an impenetrable curtain.

Shepard felt herself being plucked at by the fingers of the merciless storm as one by one the members of the team stumbled out into the snow. She took up the rear-guard position, for little good an extra pair of eyes would do in this morass of flitting snowflakes. Shepard could barely make out the spiked point of Garrus' helmet, which bobbed in the air ahead of her. Shepard cut the external mics on her helmet, leaving her alone inside the glass and metal bubble of her own helmet. The whistling of the storm died down dramatically, drowned out by the slow and steady rhythm of her own breathing. It wasn't until the haze lifted and the hanger walkway turned a sharp corner that that she realized the other members of the team were carrying on a radio conversation.

"…and what's more, I don't think we should just be stumbling into this place with just the five of us." That was Tali. Shepard was about to respond when the last vestiges of the storm settled, the curtain of snow whipped away like a shimmering curtain torn from its pole. The hanger was revealed to its cavernous extent, stretching up from the narrow catwalk they now walked on up to a curved ceiling. Great pillars rose from the lower reaches of the structure. While once they may have been smooth, they now bore the scars of years under the winds and cutting snows of Noveria, and so were scarred and twisted, the concrete rendered almost to the texture of tree bark. It gave the impression of a grim stone forest.

"…and I'm telling you, Tali, there's no way that's happening here."

"How would you know, is that what your CSec handlers told you?" Tali retorted. "Trust me; I've heard stories about this place. Veetor, one of my friends back on the Migrant Fleet, told me all about it before I left on my pilgrimage. He said they're experimenting on things like mind control. They're probably watching us right now, waiting for one of us to show weakness." The young Quarian wrung her hands around the barrel of her shotgun nervously, her head flitting from one side to the next. "They won't catch me though; this suit's outfitted with the latest and best in sensor technology. They might as well try to sneak up on a Rannoch Fo… eep!"

"Tali?" Shepard's eyes snapped up to see the Quarian staring down the barrel of a long rifle. She went for her own weapon. That was when she felt the metal at her back. Six guards stood around them now, each covering them with the barrel of a cruel looking assault rifle. The security officers wore dull, blue hued armour under thick grey cloaks. Their chests were emblazoned with a white clamshell insignia, likely some symbol of Port Hanshan.

"I'm afraid I can't let you walk into Hanshan so armed," A female voice spoke from behind one of the tinted helmets. "If you'll be so kind to relinquish your weapons and put your hands behind your heads."

"Like hell," Shepard started. Her hand tightened around the pistol in her hands. Nihlus had a different approach.

"Commander," he said evenly. Shepard lowered her weapon, but made no move to drop it. "We don't want any trouble. Here, I'm a Council Spectre." He very slowly took his hand out of the trigger guard and reached into a pouch in his armour. Shepard watched carefully, readying herself to jump the guard that had now circled around to her left, keeping the barrel leveled on her chin. Just in case Nihlus was planning something. Apparently, he wasn't, because he withdrew a small identity card. "I think you'll find this confirms my story."

"We know who you are, Spectre Nihlus," the lead guard said. We've been told to let you through, but not armed to the teeth. Company policy, I'm sure you understand."

"I can't let you do that," Nihlus responded. "I have cause to believe an Asari matriarch last seen here is in danger. My team and I will need our weapons if we are to safely extract her." The guards were silent for a long time, only the sound of the distant winds between them and Shepard's party.

"All is well here; Matriarch Benezia is at Peak 15," the lead guard said placidly. "Now, the weapons." Nihlus' crest shook in disappointment.

"It seems like talking isn't going to resolve this," he withdrew his I.D. into a clenched fist. Shepard knew what came next. The Turian's fist rocketed out, catching the lead guard across her helmeted chin. Her head snapped back and Nihlus followed up with a kick to her nearest partner. Shepard hopped back just in time for a blast from her target's rifle to lance brilliantly before her eyes. Blinking back against the flash blindness, Shepard threw herself sideways, towards the shooter. She caught the rifle in the crook of her elbow and threw a blow of her own, slamming the grip of her pistol down on the other's hand. A distinctly female grunt escaped the injured guard, but she recovered quickly, dropping the rifle and going for a wrist hold. Shepard struggled, earning herself an unskilled but brutal kick to the shinplate. Shepard hissed through her teeth and retaliated by dropping an elbow to her opponent's collarbone and attempting a trip. The other woman reversed it, getting her leg behind Shepard's ankle. Shepard gripped the other woman's wrist as the two of them toppled into the thin snow cover.

The other woman had made a big mistake. The ground fight was Shepard's arena, hard years in the gangs of Earth might not have done much for her schooling, but this, this might just get fun. Shepard immediately made to roll on top of her attacker, but found herself blocked. The other got up on one arm, a support that Shepard immediately chopped out from under her. She repeated her attempted roll, this time gaining the superior position. From her straddling position, she rained down blows, finding each one dropped with increasing frustration. And then suddenly she was under opponent, looking up. The slate grey visor above her was emotionless, but Shepard could almost feel her opponent laughing. She blocked an attempted throat grab with an elbow and earned a blow to the gut for her troubles.

"That's it!" she yelled in frustration. She feinted another roll, but instead scooted sidelong to her opponent and heaved with all her might. The other woman might be heavier than her, but Shepard had the floor to push off of and a fist full of biotic energy. Shepard was free and wasted no time scrabbling to her feet. She lashed out with a boot, catching her opponent full in the stomach. The other woman was hurting, but she was far from giving up. She wrapped herself around Shepard's leg and rolled, driving Shepard to the ground again. Her helmet cracked on hard stone and Shepard saw stars.

"Captain Matsuo! Stand down!" A voice rang out from a loudspeaker mounted somewhere on the wall. Around her, the sounds of fighting died away. "They're cleared to come in, the Administrator has agreed to allow them to keep their weapons."

"Are you serious?" Shepard heard one of the guards ask through a fat lip.

"You heard Parasini, Stirling. The Administrator says we let them go, we let them go." The lead security officer said, rubbing a own sore chin. She spoke gruffly, as if nursing some other, less obvious injury. "I'd suggest you not try that method of negotiation with my ERCS in the Port proper, Spectre-sama. They tend to show a lot less restraint when I'm not around to oversee them personally." She lowered her head respectfully, but kept eyes leveled on the Turian. Nihlus nodded.

"I'll see that my people don't cause any trouble." He made a short, barking noise, the equivalent of clearing his throat. Shepard felt the eyes of the collected fall on her and her guard. The other woman was on her feet by now, Shepard's leg still in her vice-like hold, though even now Shepard struggled against it. _No one_ beat her once the fight went to the ground, not even her instructors at the Villa had been able to keep her there for longer than it took to make them regret going for the tackle.

"Hey new girl," the one called Stirling called. "If I don't get to teach these lawbreakers a lesson, you definitely don't get to. Let the Spectre's thug go." That put some fire in Shepard's eyes, _she _was the one being pinned to the ground, after all. After a pregnant pause, the grip on her ankle loosened. Shepard was sure to grind her heel into the woman's chestplate before withdrawing her leg. Her attacker hopped up onto her feet and offered her a hand up. Shepard ignored it, hauling herself dizzily to her feet alone. She slapped up her visor and let out a stream of pink and frothy spittle, ignoring the bitter cold. The other's reflective visor couldn't hide the superiority that seemed to radiate from its owner.

"Aye," she said simply before scooping up her fallen weapon. Shepard thought she'd heard the voice somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it.

"Now, if you've all made up, I'd like to meet the Spectre's party inside," Parasini's voice said over the intercom. Shepard holstered her own weapon and joined the rest of the team as they filed past the silent guards. The airlock cycled with a mercifully warm rush of air. Shepard offered one last glance over her shoulder. The woman she had fought still hung pack at the back of the pack of guard, and though the rest of them stood rigidly at attention, she stood at ease in an almost predatory stance. The airlock's outer doors closed on her watchful visor slit.

* * *

If the open space outside was stark, cold, and forbidding, the inside of the Port was the opposite in almost equal measure. The port itself was built all in curved lines, its architecture almost elegant in its understatement. The corporate city rose in tiers, each connected by wide sweeping stair cases patrolled by blue and grey clad Turians and humans with rifles. The denizens of the Port themselves floated about among the tiers, dressed in simple business dress, though it was obviously all well out of Shepard's price range. The port was quiet, not what Shepard had expected from the descriptions on the extranet. Everybody seemed to be wrapped up in their own business, placidly moving from place to place and only greeting one another when two people's paths intersected. While the people and buildings may have been understated, the decoration for the port was far from it. From every corner of every tier sprung a riotous array of vegetation, in places even full trees erupted from sidewalk planters. Along the rows of blank-faced buildings, short cropped bushes brushed the walkways. Something seemed off though.

"No animals," Garrus leaned over and murmured, apparently thinking much the same thing. At once, Shepard knew he was right. For all the city looked like a forest, not a single animal or bird graced the branches and leaves. There was only the trees, the cold white metal of the buildings, and the glass dome above.

"Spectre! Spectre Nihlus!" Parasini called from a glass booth beside the entryway. "Over here, if you please." Parasini wore a simple red-plum business dress cut conservatively and had her dark hair drawn back into a tight bun. Every inch of her spoke of meticulous professional, from the carefully filed nails to the not-a-strand-out-of-place hairdo, all but her eyes, which seemed dim somehow. She also shook a little, like she was coming down off some kind of high. _Hasn't had her morning coffee._ Shepard thought to herself.

"Your welcoming party gave us quite the first impression, Miss…" Nihlus said.

"Gianna Parasini, secretary to Administrator Anoleis," the woman said. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Captain Matsuo is usually very professional with new arrivals. Though our usual guests don't usually start brawls with security officers over keeping their guns."

"Spectre policy, I'm afraid," Nihlus said smoothly. "Head Office doesn't like its agents disarmed under any situation."

"Of course," Parasini said, sounding convinced. "Now, if that unpleasantness is behind us, if you could state your business here."

"We spoke with your port control, we're here responding to the reports of Geth in system and to retrieve Matriarch Benezia into protective custody," the Turian rattled off. Parasini's smile faltered.

"What's this?" she asked. "I wasn't aware of any Geth reports. All is well here; Matriarch Benezia is at Peak 15."

"You're sure you haven't received any kind of word of Geth attacks?" Nihlus asked, "Can we go to this Peak 15, attacks or no, there's a good chance that the Matriarch's in real danger."

"Peak 15 is currently off limits, I'm afraid. With this storm, it's just not safe to travel by shuttlecraft."

"Can we take a land vehicle?" Shepard spoke up. Sure the blizzard was bad, but she'd seen the Mako chew through equally forbidding landscapes.

"I'm afraid that that is just not possible. Garage access can only be granted by the administrator himself. I'd set up a meeting for you, but he's not taking callers right now, hasn't for weeks."

"Perhaps you could give us access; you are his secretary after all."

"I…" Parasini seemed to stumble over her words. "I coul.. No, I'm afraid that's just not possible." She said abruptly. "Good day, please enjoy your stay in Port Hanshan." The shutters on the glass wall of the booth rattled closed, leaving the team floundering.

"Something is definitely wrong here," Garrus said.

"Did it take your finely honed C-Sec skills to figure that one out?" Tali said as she pulled weight off what looked like a nastily sprained ankle.

"Whatever it is, we have to get to the bottom of it. We'll split up in teams of two, I'll take Garrus, Shepard takes Tali. Liara, I want you to meet with this Celebrian. Anything suspicious that you can root up might help us get to the bottom of this. First though, we establish a base of operations and patch up whatever hits we took in that scuffle outside."

Shepard turned towards the city that rose above her into the distance and ripped off her helmet. Somewhere up there, the key to unlocking this new mystery was hiding. And Shepard was going to find it.

* * *

Author's Note:

Noveria, ho! This chapter, while sharing the same basic structure as canon, will diverge moreso than the Therum segment did. You'll probably notice that the Port got a little sprucing up in this chapter, more because I thought it should sound more like a city than a mall of mad science. Let me know what you think, and I'll see you next time.

Phygmalion: I hope this chapter is living up to your expectations. I'll submit that all of your points were correct... in canon. Things aren't quite right on Noveria right now though. Also, the significance is less that she is named after Elrond's wife, and more that she is named after Galadriel's daughter. I'll leave it at that for now.

-Liddle Out


	13. Chapter 13: Not Right

Vanguard of Vengeance: 13

With access barred to Nihlus' usual preferred base of operations, the local police precinct, by surly looking ERCS officers, the team was forced to retreat to the next best thing, the local bar. Linksano's was deserted when Nihlus pushed open the door. Only the bartender stood in the dimly lit place, repeatedly rubbing down the same empty glass with a rag. Nihlus nodded respectfully and received nothing in acknowledgment. His mandibles fluttered.

"Good a place as any other, I suppose," he muttered back. He pushed through the door and held it open, allowing the rest of the team to slink in. There was a flurry of snaps, hisses, and pops as helmets were removed and dumped on one of the nearby table. The door snapped closed on the sounds of foot traffic. Shepard doffed her own helmet and threw it into an unoccupied chair, then peeled off her armoured gauntlets, which followed close after. Her knuckles still stung from her brief scuffle, but that wasn't why they shook ever so slightly. Shepard's blood was up now and she wanted nothing more than to go and find something to fight.

"Hey."

She shook herself, someone was talking to her. "Huh, what?"

"Is there going to be a problem?" Nihlus said evenly. "Because there is something going on around here, and if I'm going to get to the bottom of it, I'm going to need Shepard the N7 graduate, not Shepard the Tenth Street Red." His words were quiet but firm, as was the hand he placed on her shoulder. Shepard shook it off.

"I'm sorry. I'll cool off. You still want me to take Tali out scouting?"

"If you can promise me you won't try and pick a fight with Elanus Risk Control Services," he replied with a chuckle. Shepard nodded. "Well then, I want you to take a peek around the engineering spaces. I'll head off the administration and try to clear a path for you."

"Got it," Shepard said. Nihlus turned to leave, but she stopped him. "Nihlus, my time with the Red's, it's not in file, not even the ones held by the Tops. How'd you find out?"

"That's a story for a different time, I'm afraid." Nihlus replied. He started to say something else, but at that moment the doors to the outside opened with a hiss. In the doorway stood a tall asari. The alien woman stepped gracefully across the threshold, her long dress seemingly hovering mere centimeters from the ground. The dress was conservatively cut from white cloth, its panels bordered in pale gold chord that complimented her dappled violet skin. Her face was a mask of collected stillness, a mask that broke as her eyes swept the room.

"Celle!" Liara called and gleefully rushed to her. The two shared a giggling embrace as the team looked on. At long last, Liara broke the hug self-consciously.

"Everyone, this is Doctor Celebrian Sviati, head xeno-archaeologist for the Academy of Sciences on Illium."

"It's Peer Sviati now," the other asari said in a high and fluted voice, "of the Noveria Institute. Which of course you would know, if you stuck your head out from underground more often. How long has it been now, seven years?"

"Only six," Liara protested. "Five if you count that dig we went on in the Attican Traverse."

"The dig we _met _on in the Attican Traverse, you mean," Celle said good-naturedly. "Anyway, you must tell me what you are doing on Noveria! I was ever so excited when I received your message, but you never mentioned what brings you here. You're not still on that mad crusade chasing after the secret of the Protheans are you?" she looked past Liara to look at the gathered team.

"It is not mad," Liara said. "And I'm not chasing it anymore."

"Oh?" Celle said quizzically. Before Doctor T'Soni could spill any more as to the nature of their Prothean passenger, Nihlus stepped in.

"Professor, I understand that you had a hand in getting us a surface pass down to the planet," he said quickly, drawing the attention of the white-clad alien.

"Why yes, I suppose I did. It would have been a real pity if Little Wing here got herself shot down." She said with a smile. Shepard shot the younger asari a questioning look, but Liara looked away with a light blush. "I was, of course, accompanying the Matriarch during her visit here. When I saw your request to land, I assumed that you _finally_ deigned to pay her a visit. Judging by your traveling companions though, this is a somewhat more official matter."

"Y-yes, well, this is Nihlus. He's a Council Spectre."

"A Spectre? We don't see many Spectres here on Noveria. You didn't wander into some primitive culture's sacred temple uninvited again did you? Spectre Nihlus, if she's done anything…" The turian raise his hands.

"That won't be necessary. You see, Doctor T'Soni became part of my latest investigation when her dig came under attack by elements of the Geth. The same Geth we think might be on Noveria. The woman we spoke to, Gianna Parasini, said there were no Geth here though."

"And she'd be right," Celebrian said airily, "Noveria has no connection to A.I. either past or present, and we've been especially vigilant to ward against both Geth, and their creators."

"Be that as it may," Nihlus said diplomatically, "we have received reports from several sources. If you could set it up, we'd like to meet with Matriarch Benezia, just to make sure she's safe. We're afraid that the Geth might make her a target as well, and the Administrator has denied us access."

The smile on Celebrian's face fell abruptly, replaced with a flaccid expression that was almost slack. "All is well, Matriarch Benezia is at Peak 15." She said. Shepard caught Nihlus' eye, but the turian Spectre made a subtle sign to keep quiet. Celebrian came back, a shallow grin flickered back across her face and she spoke sweetly. "I'm afraid it'll just about impossible to meet her. There's a storm blowing in off the mountains, the roads out will be the only path to the Peak, and the Administrator hasn't handed out a pass to the garages for several months. If you want my advice, you'll take your ship and take your Geth investigation somewhere else." With that, the asari turned gracefully on her heels and strode from the bar.

"Celle, wait!" Liara called, but her friend had already whisked herself away. "Ooh, why does she always have to do this?" Liara shook her palled up fists before smoothing down her coat and taking a deep, steadying breath.

"You two have a history past mutual archaeological research, I assume?" Nihlus said as the doors swished closed behind the retreating asari.

"Celebrian has the ear of my mother, though sometimes I think she believes she has more. This is not the first time she has refused to bring some of my concerns to Benezia's attention."

"Do you think you can get her to come around? The longer I spend here, the longer I get the sense that we're being played. I'm going to need you to go after her, try to work her over to our side. Can you do that?"

Liara nodded had briskly followed her old mentor out of the double doors. Nihlus rounded on Shepard. "Take your team out, Commander. I want hourly status updates." Shepard saluted sharply.

"Come on, we've got a gutter to seep."

* * *

Off the beaten path of the blisteringly white walkways and streets, Noveria had a different face. Sure it didn't hold a candle to the alleyways and dead end roads that Shepard had grown up on, but next to Noveria's public face, the difference was startling, though perhaps not to the untrained eye. Shepard could see it though, the thin layer of dust and grime, the steel construction not quite so shiny, clear signs that the scouring mechs didn't mind giving this part of town the odd pass over. Small scraps of rubbish dotted the ground. In any other city, they would have blended in, even been expected, but on Noveria they shone as bright as billboards. She knelt to brush aside a flimsy placard to reveal a half empty pot of contraband pain pills.

"Weird, I didn't think that paces like Noveria even had a gutter," Tali mused behind her. Shepard looked up at her Quarian teammate.

"Trust me, the Navy's taken me here, there, and everywhere, and there isn't a habitable planet I've visited yet that didn't have a gutter." Shepard tossed the pills aside. They rattled and rolled down the empty alley. "What I want to know is if this is the slum, where are all the slummers?"

"Perhaps there aren't any? Or maybe they move about, there's nothing keeping them here." Tali replied.

Shepard shook her head. "Noveria's got an image to keep, and that image doesn't have a place for dropouts and burned out lab subjects. Otherwise we wouldn't have had to slip by three patrols to get back here. And besides," Shepard fished out the placard again, "I don't think this guy just got up and left." She held it up in Tali's line of sight. Clearly visible on the card were the words _Veteran, Relay 314, disabled_. "Which again begs the question, where did they all go?" Shepard gave the street another critical look. She had the weirdest feeling… Something glinted from atop a nearby building. Shepard's N7 sharpened reflexes kicked in before she had a chance to process what she was seeing. She lunged for the Quarian, who protested angrily as the two went down in a tangle of limbs.

"Shepard! What are you…" was all she got out before the crack of the rifle reached them. The metal pavement mere feet behind them exploded in a shower of sparks as the armour piercing tungsten round tore into the ground. Shepard ripped her pistol from its magnetic holster and fired a few shots blindly back in the direction of the would-be assassin as she struggled to extricate herself from Tali. She rolled back onto her feet in time to see the sniper drop from the building to the ground in what had to be a mass effect assisted jump.

"We have to call this in to Nihlus!" Tali squeaked, but it fell on deaf ears as Shepard took off after the shooter. The pavement became a blur beneath her feet as she rushed headlong towards where she'd last seen her attacker. Behind her Tali spluttered in an effort to keep up with her, but without the Commander's augmented lungs and conditioning she was having a rough time of it.

A flash of grey caught Shepard's eye off to the side. She turned to see A slim figure in grey armour plate burst from a side passage, a tall rifle slung across one shoulder. Even through the opaque helmet glass Shepard could tell her attacker was surprised to see her closing so fast. The attacker broke into a flat sprint, narrowly avoiding a collision. Shepard fell in behind her, grunting with exertion as the enemy stayed infuriatingly just out of reach. With near blinding speed, the grey clad assassin whipped to the side, ducking down another alley. Shepard turned in time to see her artfully leap and swing herself up the side of the building in a dizzying flurry of moves. She disappeared over the lip of the building and continued running along the roof tops. Shepard took off after her on the ground, shadowing the leaping assailant. Whoever she was, she was fast, but she was also running out of roof. Shepard counted doorways as they rushed past.

One… two… three… four… Shepard triggered her biotics, and sprung high into the air as negative gravity wreathed every part of her body. If she had counted right, the current run of buildings was about to meet a wide avenue, and without biotics of her own, the assassin would have to cross right… about…

Shepard collided in midair, driving a shoulder into the surprised sniper. Wreathed as she was in dark energy, Shepard did little to effect the pair's momentum, so they both continued along the sniper's original arc until they came crashing down atop a roof across the narrow alleyway. They rolled, Shepard coming up into a kneeling guard just in time to block a snap kick as her attacker continued her roll. The other woman rose, throwing another kick that drove Shepard back. She caught the third strike and lifted with all her might. Her opponent spun away which gave Shepard the breathing room she needed to regain her feet. She was soon under assault again as a sliver of metal flashed by her head. The attacker had pulled a knife. The blade knicked and skittered across Shepard's armguards as it flicked out again and again. Finally she had an opening, as the blade rushed down in a stabbing arc. Shepard's arms flashed up, ready to make the redirect. But her opponent was ready for her. The attacker shifted her weight, pulling Shepard into the path of her own redirect. The thin blade came down on her gut, slicing the thin rubbery material between the hardened plates.

Shepard hissed as the metal dug in. Her attacker delivered a vicious instep kick to the back of the knee and drove her to the ground before throwing her down on her belly. The knife twisted. Shepard bit her lip to stifle a yell. She felt herself being turned over as the other woman knelt down over her. She withdrew the knife and whispered down to Shepard in a cruel voice.

"Not so nice to be on the other side of the knife, huh, bitch?" she said. "You'll pay for what you did to Hagan." She tapped the knife along to top of Shepard's helmet.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shepard spat, leaving a wet red spot on the inside of her visor. "If this is about at the gates…"

"The gates? That wasn't nothing but a little bit of fun. Or do you not remember who I am?" At Shepard's stubborn silence, she went on. "I thought they built N7s smarter these days. And I definitely thought the knife would be a better reminder."

Something clicked. The voice, the knife. "You're the interrogator, you were on the Citadel!"

"Now she gets it," The woman ripped off her ERCS helmet to reveal a handsome yet scarred face with pointed features. Those features were twisted in a spiteful smile as the woman continued in her mock-congratulatory tone. "Go right to the front of the class." Her eyes burrowed into Shepard's. "You know, I'm kind of glad you caught up with me, it'd be a shame to take you out without getting a chance to have a little chat."

"What do you want? Are you with Saren? Are you here for the Matriarch?" Shepard asked. The woman shushed her with a cocked finger and a sharp look.

"Now, now. You don't want to ruin the surprise." she admonished. "And besides, I think we'll stick to _my_ questions." The woman's cruel smile sent chills through Shepard, the cold in the pit of her stomach rising above the hot anger that ran in her veins. The grin widened until all of a sudden, it fell. Shepard looked back, following her eye line. A glowing orange sphere bounced and floated up and over the lip of the building, it's wide open face opening and closing like the iris of an eye.

"What the…?" the woman managed to say before the drone flashed red. A long streamer of static discharge leapt out, catching the kneeling attacker right in the fingers that clasped the knife. With a gasp, the blade flew from her fingers and skittered away. "Questions will have to wait!" She spat before ducking low under another blast. She ran stood over, pausing only briefly to scoop up the smoking knife. Shepard sat up painfully, clutching at the ragged hole in her armour plate that was already staining a bright crimson. Weakly, she raised a gauntleted fist, her pistol clenched tight. One shot was all she managed before she dropped the pistol as another sliver of pain shot through her midsection. The shot went high, catching the fleeing attacker high in the shoulder. She grunted but kept going, dropping from the roof. Shepard grasped uselessly at the air behind her attacker, though it did little good. She swore viciously and went for her medigel. The medicated paste was cool out of its injectors and the flood of painkillers washed through her like an icy and numbing tide. Shepard lay back as the exertive grunts of somebody climbing reached her ears. Tali emerged over the lip of the building.

"Commander!" She yelled, rushing to Shepard's side. She reached for her own medigel container before Shepard caught her by the arm. Tali pulled away, but got the gist when she saw Shepard's container blinking empty. "Are you okay? Can you move?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine," Shepard said through gritted teeth. "Trust me, I've had worse. Now help me up." The two women grunted as the alien helped up her bleeding human teammate. "Thanks for the assist."

"It was the least I could do," Tali said in a strained cheerfulness that rang slightly false in Shepard's ears. "You did push me out of the way of a bullet back there."

Shepard's comm. chimed. She reached for it with her clean hand. "Shepard here."

"Shepard, it's Nihlus," the turian said in a voice that instantly set Shepard's teeth on edge. The flange in his tones had the crackle of recent combat.

"Go ahead, Nihlus," She said, trying to hide the pain in her own voice.

"Commander, I'm going to need you to stop what you're doing right now and make your way to the administrator's office. You sound like you need patching up, but do it on the fly. This can't wait for long."

"Yes, sir!" Shepard said with more snap than she intended, slapping the comm. off.

* * *

Shepard skidded to a halt outside the impressive sculpted façade of Administrator Anoleus' private offices. Outside the outer lobby doors, Garrus stood at uneasy attention.

"Shepard," he said, barely above a whisper. He jerked his head back towards the office, his eyes fixated on the port's security personnel. Shepard looked out and watched them too. They wandered stiffly in wide circles around the promenade, eyes fixed ahead. Shepard walked past Garrus and into the lobby. Tali gasped behind her. Shepard couldn't blame the young Quarian woman, the sight before them was as grisly as it was surprising. The administrator's assistant, Gianna Parasini, lay still on the metal flooring. A gash opened up her once pretty face, the evidence of a mass driver hit at close range. Blood was already congealing on her dark skin. Behind her, Shepard heard Tali gag.

"Is that?" She asked, hard faced.

"Yes," Nihlus said stiffly. His hand was on his shotgun and his eyes were beady, cold. "Unavoidable, she attacked us. I knew something wasn't right, and when she fed me that line about Benezia again… well, I pushed, and she pushed back. Only she pulled a gun, over there." He pointed towards an abandoned heavy pistol on the floor a few feet away.

"How are we fielding this, sir?" Shepard asked.

"We keep it quiet. As far as I know, nobody heard, this office is likely soundproofed to prevent bugging. I've sent the doctor back for a plasma cutter."

"A cutter, sir?" Shepard asked, surprised. Plasma cutters were generally held back for heavy duty work, cutting through hull plate and the like.

"Yes," Nihlus said. He pointed at the high double doors into Anoleus' inner sanctum. Where the two wooden slabs met, a thick ropy chunk had been levered out of the doors. Underneath, purple-grey metal shone. "The doors are soft wood veneer, but underneath they've got some kind of metal I've never seen before. Ah, here she is now." There was a soft knock at the door, the sound of someone being brusquely shoved aside, and then the doors slammed open. A furious prothean marched through, Ashley close at his heels and a furiously blushing Liara behind the both of them. Javik fumed, his four, red-rimmed eyes blazing as he looked between Shepard and Nihlus.

"You left me behind," he said simply, his voice searing. "And you thought to set your guard dog one me to keep me there!" Ashley bristled at the comment. "But now you've let yourself get drawn into a trap!"

"What are you talking about?" Nihlus asked sharply, signaling for Garrus to close the doors tightly behind them."

"Can you not see it?" Javik asked, "Can you not smell it, taste it on the air? These creatures are indoctrinated, bent to the will of a Reaper."

"The voices," Liara said suddenly, "the same lines, over and over, but how many could they have gotten to?"

"All of them," Javik said, his voice heavy as a tombstone.

* * *

The glare of the torch burned bright in the small lobby as it cut deep red scars in the metal underlayer of the inner doors. Already the thin wood had burned completely away, leaving only the blackened shell behind. And now that was about to give way. The team stood in an uneasy semi-circle as Ashley and Garrus hefted the heavy cutter for the final stroke. The doors gave way with a puff of smoke, a tongue of flame, and a wave of stale, foul-smelling air. The room beyond was dark and dank.

"Pull the doors," Nihlus ordered. Ash and Garrus each grabbed a section of the still cherry red door and tugged. The doors swung open, revealing the interior. The room was bare and grey, it's walls stripped of metals, paint, wood, any decoration. The outer facing windows were blackened, covered over by some paint or paste. The oozy, oily smell that had roiled through the crack now belched forth in great stinking clouds.

But it was what lay in the center that drew the eye and curdled the stomach. The form, at first squat looking until the opening doors revealed its bulk, loomed from the center of the room. It was a wide, pulsating mass of grey-green flesh, easily five feet high at its peak. Its wide, sweaty sides were split by an arrack of black tubes that ran like worms through the fetid pile. Just under the surface, fierce blue orbs winked on, shining through the skin.

"My God," Ashley whispered, her hand clapped over her mouth.

At her words, the mass stirred, it's forward most limb shifting and moving, it flared open, the thick tendril blossoming to reveal the pale body of an emaciated salarian. It too was riven by the black cords, it's skin broken to reveal blue circuitry. It's head was a grotesque distortion, jaw snapped to hang wide and bright, pupils electric blue orbs bulged from its sockets. And then it began to speak. Its voice was wet, guttural, at once a scream and a roar and a groan. It bellowed, its tones like oil in Shepard's head.

**All is well.** The thing blared. **Benezia is at Peak 15.**

"Do not let it corrupt you!" Javik bellowed in return. He raised his particle rifle to his shoulder. "This thing is of the Enemy, it must be burned!"

**No. You….** The thing struggled. It's bulging eyes swiveled onto Javik. **You… You must… DIE.**

* * *

Author's Note:

It Liiiiiiiives!

My apologies for the massive time gap in publishing. Hopefully this marks the return to regularly scheduled updates. For those of you who've stuck with me, thank you for your patience.

-Liddle Out


End file.
